The Wrong Wolf
by Suz26
Summary: *On HIATUS* Kim's been crushing on Jared since grade school. One day he suddenly takes an interest in her. Will he be everything she's hoped or will reality fall short of fantasy? Will another wolf prove more compatible? M/AU/OOC - Paul/Kim/Jared
1. Chapter 1  New shoes new life

**The Wrong Wolf** – A Paul/Kim/Jared story

**_Kim's been crushing on Jared since grade school. One fine day he suddenly takes an interest in her. Will he be everything she's longed for or will reality fall short of fantasy? Will another wolf prove more compatible? My take on imprinted wolf behavior. AU/OOC/M for Lang & Lemons galore/Bit of KimXJared/Lotta KimXPaul. Reviews welcome and appreciated!_**

_Maybe the attention was simply all in my head?_ I felt I was getting strange looks as I drifted down the familiar hallways of the Quileute Reservation High School. _Oh, God, everyone is whispering about me._ I could feel it even if I didn't exactly hear what was being said. No one ever whispered about _me_? I'd studiously avoided attention my entire life and as such I'd made a school career out of _blending_. It was a talent I was oddly proud of. Today was the first day of school, following the best summer break of my almost 17 years; a summer spent down south with my cousins in California.

I was convinced it wasn't entirely my own paranoia when Gabby, a particularly genetically blessed girl in my grade blocked my path for a moment with her angelic visage, gasping a shocked, "Wow, Kim! You look SO different. Did you get contacts?"

"Um…yeah…something like that" I managed to mutter in response, ducking my head and darting around her to make my way to my locker. My fingers shook as I twirled the combination lock. If I'd carved out a niche for myself by being invisible, Gabby had created a legacy by doing the opposite- as if being drop dead gorgeous couldn't garner enough attention for her already.

"Your hair looks different too" Gabby persisted, following me over to my locker. Oh, God, why didn't she stop talking to me already? She was sure to draw even more attention…and likely not in a good way. I could already feel my cheeks growing hotter. Where was my best friend Maggie when I needed her? She should have met me at my locker by now. I hadn't even seen her since I'd been back in LaPush as I'd only flown in the evening before. Maggie was impossible to miss, even in a crowded hallway. She must have been running late or something.

"Are you wearing make-up? And are those…_J Brand_ jeans? "

I tried to ignore Gabby's inquisition as she sidled up to my right side. "Tite threads!" she complimented, openly checking me out from head to toe. I tucked my chin further into my chest, letting my long jet black hair fall forward creating a veil on either side of my face. I hoped it would somehow shield me from the scrutiny of my growing unwanted audience. LaPush was a rather small pond; LaPush High a large puddle.

"Yeah, she totally got a makeover or… _something_!" Shit! That was Darla I'd heard to my left, Gabby's evil cohort in genetic brilliance. Darla was equally as Victoria's Secret model stunning, but her brash, nasally voice tended to diminish her appeal somewhat.

_Why were the reservation's supermodels even talking to me? Ugh! Had I broken some unwritten rule of high school hierarchy etiquette? Did I need permission from the IT girls to cut my hair into long layers? Wear a frickin new pair of jeans?_ I yanked my locker door open with sweaty hands and began fumbling with my bag, praying I was grabbing the right notebooks for my first two period classes. A sudden sharp intake of breath to my left startled me enough that I dropped my bag and books.

"Holy fuck!" Darla exclaimed in what seemed to be complete horror. "Are those Louboutin boots? Did you rob a fucking bank over the summer?" _Damnit_, I _knew_ my aunt Susie had been lying when she said she got them for me at a DSW.

"Um…they're…ah…just some boots my aunt got me over the summer…when I was in California." I managed to stammer out in a voice far more dignified than the high-pitched squeal I'd feared would emerge as I stooped to gather my scattered belongings. "And the jeans are hand-me-downs from my cousin Alison." I was justifying. _Why was I justifying my wardrobe to these freakishly statuesque teenage anomalies?_

"Can I borrow them?" Darla gush-giggled loudly. "Like right now?" She snorted at her own humor. "Those boots are seriously fuck-me hot!"

"Uhhhh…maybe some other time?" It came out sounding like I was asking her to do me a favor and not yank them off my feet right now in the hallway.

"Really? What size?" Gabby squealed.

"Eight." Was this conversation for real? I anxiously searched my bag for my class schedule.

"I'm a nine but I'll squeeze my fat toes into those 'sex walking' boots regardless" Darla assured the entire crowded hall. Clearly she never favored her indoor voice much.

"Yay! I'm a seven-and-a-half!" Gabby yipped excitedly.

"You're always the lucky one!" Darla whined and rolled her eyes.

I focused on the valuable scrap of paper I'd just located. History. I had Quileute history class first period. I had a destination and a room number. _Now if I could just shake these two…_

"Where you headed?" Gabby grabbed the schedule right out of my hand. "Oooh, I have history now too! We can walk together." She squealed, her expression a portrait of seemingly sincere glee.

_Weird._ Aunt Susie always said the right pair of shoes could change the course of your life but this was just silly. Gabby and I hadn't moved in the same social circles since about 2nd grade. Now she wanted to walk my new boots to class?

"S-sure. Why not?" Maggie was still nowhere in sight. I reluctantly shut my locker, raised my head and turned to face the two girls who were likely contemplating jumping me in a dark stairwell at the first opportunity, snagging my new boots and dumping my body in the girls' locker room.

"O… M… G! That top is too cute." Darla reached out a hand to touch the front slit neckline of my lavender colored tee shirt. I jerked back slightly in surprise and her hand ended up petting my left boob.

"Nice! Girl on girl action!" A male voice boomed from directly across the hallway. I looked up to see four hulking guys in football jerseys chuckling and leering at us from where they stood gathered at the lockers on the opposite wall. Darla just tittered and shook a finger at the boys in reprimand, although it was obvious she didn't mind their attention in the least. Two of the senior players, Jack and Alec, high-fived. I rolled my eyes and resisted the urge to smack my forehead with the heel of my hand. I didn't know any of the guys on the team other than by reputation, but Alec was good friends with another football player I was desperate to know; one I'd been pining after my entire existence…_Jared Cameron_.

_Ah, Jared Jared Jared Jared_…a name I'd barely spoken aloud all summer. Maggie was the one friend I freely tormented with my incessant worshipful musings of Jared Cameron. And then as if I'd conjured her up, Maggie's lanky frame came into view. She must have grown another two inches over the summer without gaining an ounce. She looked liked she'd been stretched on a rack or something as she towered over the majority of our schoolmates, boys included. Damn, she was probably pushing 6' now. Her brows were furrowed as she regarded me and the scene before her in marked confusion. Our eyes met and I mouthed the word, "help".

"In case you boys were wondering, hers are real and they feel _awesome!_" Darla suddenly announced, winking conspiratorially at me and giving the underside of my right boob a little pat, causing my 32C cup to jiggle slightly beneath my fitted tee.

Maggie's eyes widened in horror as a sympathy blush painted her dusky skin. I was sure my own honey almond complexion had turned crimson. _If only I'd just stayed and gone to school in California like my aunt had offered. _

Gabby fell into a fit of giggles, as did most of my onlookers. Male voices were "ooh-ing" and "ah-ing" and making flirtatious and lewd remarks I chose to block out. Darla seemed pleased by her own clever wit and basked in the approval for a moment before returning her attention to the ever fascinating task of dissecting my new wardrobe. I made a mental note to shop exclusively at the Walmart in Forks from now on. Better to pay hard-earned money for inconspicuous threads than wear free attention grabbing cast-offs.

"I must know who makes this top" Darla pulled determinedly at my back collar, lifting my hair aside to inspect the inner label. _Ewe, did being a high school supermodel procure you the right to invade anyone's personal space at will?_

"It…it's just a hand me down from my cousin" I grumbled out. My cheeks were burning as I looked up to see most of the student body awaiting the announcement of the maker of my shirt. _Christ, it was just a frickin used tee shirt! _Maggie looked on in sick fascination, mouthing the word, "sorry". She hated attention as much as I did. I knew she was definitely feeling my pain.

"Michael Stars?" Darla announced with a frown as she read my shirt. "Who's _Michael Stars_?"

"Um…just some guy who makes really comfy tee-shirts my cousin Alison wears a lot of?" Why did every statement that came out of my mouth now suddenly sound like a question?

"Hmm…well I love the way the material clings and drapes." Darla stepped back and regarded me with a critical eye. "So simple… yet elegant."

It was like watching a Native Heidi Klum assess the work of a nervous amateur designer on Project Runway. Gabby thoughtfully nodded her concurrence. There was an awkward moment of silence as both Gabby and Darla's eyes narrowed into slits, regarding me up and down with renewed interest and…_suspicion_?

"Uh…thanks?" My voice sounded muffled due to the pounding of blood in my ears. "I gotta get to class." I shot Maggie another "save me" look. She just stood frozen across the hallway, a lanky, curly- haired deer in headlights.

"Wait!" Darla grabbed me roughly by the shoulders before I could even manage a step. _Was she going to publicly molest me again?_ A look of realization spread across her perfect features and she tilted her head to the side, revealing her new epiphany in her full outdoor "whisper-shout" voice.

"You got plastic surgery in California over the summer, didn't you? That's it! That's what's so different about you." _If only I'd never gotten out of bed this morning._ A chorus of gasps and "I knew it"s erupted from all directions in the increasingly claustrophobic hallway. I think my lower jaw hit my _Lou-batter-whatever _boots.

Gaby seemed to mock-gasp in horror, before mock-correcting herself with a hand to her lips, followed by a fake sweet smile. "Don't worry, it looks really, _really_ natural" she hastened to assure me with an I-feel-so-sorry-and-embarrassed-for-you arm around my shoulder.

Tears burned the back of my eyes as I felt all my newly gained confidence from a summer spent in the loving support of my late mom's brother's family swiftly eroding away. This was all kinds of fucked up. _Plastic surgery? Seriously?_ _Because I wasn't wearing glasses and I had on new used skinny jeans and eye make-up? _These Barbie bitches didn't play nice.

_What would Alison say? What would Alison say? What kind of damage could my Loulou-whatchamacallit boots do if shoved hard enough up Darla's ass? _My older cousin Alison always knew what to say in these situations.

I heard a throat clear across the hall and looked up to see a red-faced, beyond irate Maggie about to lay into my attackers. _Since when did Maggie have such a short fuse?_ _Oh, shit!_ Maggie was even lamer than I was when it came to clever comebacks. I had to say something before Maggie made the situation even worse despite her noble intentions.

_Channel my inner Alison, channel my inner Alison. _I thought back to some of the crushing set downs I'd seen Alison deliver during my time with her. The hilarity of one particular incident in the ladies' room of a rather exclusive club in Los Angeles suddenly came to mind and whether it was due to my heightened emotional state, nervousness over my presently beyond embarrassing situation or the memory of Alison's humorous remarks, I don't know, but I suddenly snorted and then guffawed like a lunatic right in Gabby's perfectly pretty face.

"Oh, you're SO sweet to compliment me! But you know my dad doesn't have the kind of money to spend on plastic surgery like your parents do. Thank you, though. It looks natural because it _IS_ natural." I met their eyes and managed to smile as fake sincerely as possible.

"Really, that's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me." Then I slung my bag over my shoulder, effectively whacking Gabby's arm off of me in the process and narrowly missing braining her in the face as it whipped fully around my back to complete its trajectory.

I fixed Maggie with an overly bright grin and shoved my way through the throng of idiot onlookers, "Maggie! There you are! How was your summer?" I grabbed Maggie's arm and yanked her down the hallway as fast as my stupid designer heeled boots would allow.

Once we'd turned the corner I released a breath I hadn't noticed I'd been holding. I'd been publicly groped and humiliated before the first bell had even rung.

"What. The. Hell. Was. That?" Maggie slouched down slightly to my height and leaned in to whisper as we speed-walked arm in arm. At 5'7" I wasn't exactly short but not quite tall either compared to Maggie. Fortunately in my fancy heels I was closer to 5'9" so Maggie didn't have to strain her neck too much.

"I know, that wasn't the world's greatest comeback but it was all I could manage on the spot" I whispered back. "I have Quileute history first. You?"

"I have Pre-Calc. It was fine. Better than fine. It wasn't like you at all. _You're_ not like you at all. Seriously, what _DID_ you do to yourself over the summer? But first, listen, I need to talk to you about something important."

"Oh, thank s a lot! I did NOT get plastic surgery, okay! Well, actually, I did get laser eye surgery. Wait, does that count as plastic? Oh, my God! No…no, I'm fairly certain that doesn't count because it's corrective and not necessarily for cosmetic purposes, right? Then again, it IS elective. Oh, damnit, I _did_ get plastic surgery, didn't I?" I stopped dead in my tracks.

"Stop it before I slap you." Maggie jerked me back into stride. "Let's just decide that it _doesn't_ count, okay? We have to talk and there's not much time."

"They're hand me downs from Alison, okay, and I swear I didn't know the boots crazy Aunt Susie gave me were anything special."

"Kim, stop babbling already! This isn't about you or your 90210 makeover. You look great- fantastic really. Honestly, you've never looked better, that's why the wicked stepsisters attacked you. But that's not what I need to tell you about." She pulled me over to the side and we huddled against the wall out of the way of hallway traffic. I could see students already filing into my first period history class two doors down from where we stood.

Maggie's eyes were filled with concern and…_apprehension_? "Kim, listen, some weird things started happening while you were away for the summer. I don't know _exactly_…I mean, I don't know…for sure…_really_…but I think it might be…ah…_hell_, this is so hard to say…I mean…without sounding completely crazy… Well…how much of our legends to you know about? No, maybe that's not the best place to start…um…do you remember that time we went camping when we were ten and we heard the weird howling noise and my dad told us that scary story? No, wait…scrap that…that wasn't the right legend…um…"

I felt myself going cross-eyed and my mind wandering aimlessly as my brain was starting to ache from trying to decipher what the deuce Maggie was going on about. Then she uttered the one phrase that would always capture my attention.

"Kim, it's about Jared." She paused, bit her lip and closed her eyes as if contemplating the best choice of words. "Something…something has happened to him." _What the fuck was she trying to say to me? Oh, my God, something bad had happened to my Jared? _I felt my heart rate kick into overdrive and I had to force a breath into my lungs before I passed out. I gripped her upper arms.

"Oh, my God, Maggie! Is he okay? Was he in an accident? Is he sick? Does he need my kidney? Oh, my, God, why didn't you call me?"

She shook her head rapidly and sighed heavily in irritation. "Stop, stop, he's fine alright. He's just…_different_. Different in a…weird…_scary_…kind of way." She gave me a heavy, pointed look. _Was that supposed to mean something to me?_ Christ she was annoying. _Enough with the charades already!_

"Uh…_O-kay_? Did you want to elaborate?" _And make some damn sense?_

Maggie opened her mouth to continue but a ruckus from behind her drew my attention further down the hallway where a sea of students parted eagerly to allow two Quileute gods to pass. _Holy. Taha. Aki._ They looked to be nearly 7' tall, bronzed and muscled with such definition beyond anything I'd ever seen or imagined possible for the human male body. From a distance they looked like twins, brothers at very least. Both gods wore their raven locks cropped closely to their heads and were dressed in khaki shorts and simple fitted tee shirts which did nothing to hide the brilliance of their impeccably chiseled physiques. As they drew closer I noticed their movements seemed almost perfectly synchronized as they strode in unison swiftly in our direction. Their faces looked hard, focused, and unrelenting in their course. Even from a distance the steeliness in their determined expressions sent a shiver down my spine. Their dark eyes seemed oddly unseeing, focused on nothing, yet somehow at the same time surveying and capturing everything which surrounded them all at once.

As they came closer still, I recognized them as two of my classmates, and I felt a layer of goose-bumps swiftly blanket my skin. The gods were none other than the reservation's resident bad boy Paul Lahote and my own beloved Jared Cameron. _Holy Taha Aki!_

This must be the change in Jared that Maggie was unsuccessfully trying to tell me about. For as long as I could remember Jared had always been the most beautiful creature on the face of the planet in my estimation, yet somehow over the summer he had managed grow into the body of a freakishly fit 20-year-old god who looked, well, quite simply, like sex walking.

I'd often quietly mused throughout summer vacation whether Jared would come back to school with a really dark tan or simply a medium dark tan? If he would grow an inch in height over the summer or two inches? If he would alter the side on which he favored parting his shoulder length hair and how much more adorable he'd look with these minor changes? But the Jared in front of me now completely exceeded any change or new level of hotness my meager 17-year-old imagination had been capable of conjuring up during an entire break. _Clearly I lacked imagination._

It occurred to me I may have also chosen the wrong time to obtain perfect vision, because now that I could see him clearly in all of his new splendor, I didn't know if I'd ever be able to look away; to see or focus on anything other than Jared ever again. Certainly if he got any cuter, I'd have to poke one of my eyes out simply for self-preservation. He was just that beautiful.

_Oh, no!_ Jared had _always_ been beautiful to _me_, even in 7th grade when he was scrawny with braces and his nose and ears had awkwardly grown faster than the rest of his face. But now he was sure to be noticed as such by the entire female population of LaPush, Forks, Port Angeles, the greater Seattle area and likely the entire Pacific Northwest. _Oh, dear, Lord!_ I'd failed to make any progress in gaining his affections and I'd been trying since I'd first laid eyes on him in the supermarket at age 4. How in the world was I going to compete for his attention now when likely every female who crossed his path would be falling at his feet? _My god, they probably already had been all summer long! He could have a girlfriend by now? He could have lost his virginity to someone other than me?_

Not that I had it on any authority that he was still a virgin before I left for the summer. But I had quietly been saving myself for him, and well, I guess I'd hoped beyond hope that he was somehow still a virgin too. I mean, I knew he'd had girlfriends before and I'd even seen him kissing and making out with more than one of them before on school grounds in the last few years, but I tried to pretend that was as serious as it ever got.

Alison thought me naïve and Maggie flat out thought me a fool, but I couldn't help it. Maggie believed wholeheartedly in our Quileute legends, Alison believed in Buddha, Aunt Susie believed in the power of a great pair of shoes; I believed in Jared Cameron. Okay, so maybe I didn't really even _know_ him. But I swear I knew him in my heart. I just _knew_ he was the most beautiful person inside and out and that we were destined to be together. I just _knew_ it and nothing and no one had ever been able to convince me otherwise.

But what on earth was he doing with Paul Lahote? Had they become friends over the summer? Maybe they were weight-lifting buddies or something? _Oh dear, had he gotten Jared into steroids?_ I was no expert but Paul and Jared both looked unnaturally well-built. _Who gains that much muscle mass in one summer break?_ I turned to Maggie, who'd been observing me anxiously.

"Maggie? Why's Jared hanging out with Paul?" She frowned. They were less than 30 feet away from us now. "_Maggie?_ Talk!" I ordered, "_Fast!_"

We huddled even closer and in practically one breath she proceeded to spit out a Cliff's Notes version of the summer's events related to Jared.

"Okay, so first Sam Uley had this massive growth spurt, turned into a Quileute He-Man and started acting all weird. Then Jared, Paul and Embry Call did the same. They've all cut their hair off, got matching tribal tattoos, and started hanging out basically only with each other from what I understand. Popular rumors are they're in a cult, a gang, or on steroids."

She sucked in air and finished cryptically, "I think it's none of the above. Personally, I have my own theories…but I'll save those for lunchtime."

We broke huddle just in time to face two Quileute gods descending upon us. I felt my body go up in flames from proximity to such hotness as Jared came to a halt not more than 20 feet away from me in front of my first period classroom. "Hey Maggie, s'up?" he greeted, nodding in her direction. Then his dark brown eyes found mine and I felt locked in some kind of a trance.

"_Holy Taha Aki!" _This time I'd muttered it out loud. Jared's full lips curved into the most delicious smile I'd ever seen. I was incapable of breaking eye contact. He was smiling at me. He was smiling at _ME? _ _Oh, dear mother in heaven!_ Then he did something even more unexpected; he strode right up to me and spoke.

"Hey." The smooth baritone shot right to my crotch. He moved even closer and smiled down at me. "How's it going?" My stomach somersaulted violently and I was thankful I'd skipped breakfast.

After years of rehearsing in my head what I'd do and say if and when such a blessed moment came to pass, I was frightfully bereft of anything resembling speech. I moved my mouth to say "fine" but it came out like a whimpered "nine". Maggie watched on in horror for the second time in one morning.

Jared's grin grew wider and I was blinded by the brilliance of his perfect, pearly whites. "I'm Jared. " He extended an enormous, well-formed hand in my direction. "Welcome to LaPush High." _Say_ w_hat?_

I stared, completely lost in his brown orbs. Maggie choked out an "awe shit" under her breath. Jared's brows furrowed. He moved in closer to me. I felt suddenly hot all over. It seemed as if waves of heat were rolling off of him…_or was it me generating that heat_? He was truly enormous. Enormous and insanely, absurdly gorgeous! And he was waiting for me to say something….do something. His eyes caressed my face and his lips curved into a disarmingly sweet smile.

I swallowed audibly and whispered, "K-Kim." _Wait,_ w_hy were we introducing ourselves?_ He reached his still extended arm behind me and gently withdrew the book bag I was clutching over my shoulder. He then took my shaky, clammy hand in his hot one. _Wow, did he have a fever?_ A jolt of electricity ran from our joined hands throughout my entire body. I was in heaven. It was the most indescribably wonderful moment of my entire young life. This couldn't be real. This was the stuff of fairy tales and corny teenage romance novels, certainly not _my_ life.

"I'd be happy to show you around and give you a tour of LaPush sometime." _Oh, my God, was he asking me out? _His thumb caressed my wrist that was still engulfed securely in his hand. My heart rate kicked into hyper-drive. _Oh, please, God, please don't let me have a heart attack now. Not now!_

_What do I say? Why did he suggest a tour of LaPush? Was that code for something? _

"So did you just move here over the summer?" Jared continued conversationally.

My brows knit together and I felt my stomach drop to the floor. In my periphery I saw Maggie cover her face with her hands. _What? What did he mean did I just move here?_

_Oh. My. God._ _No, it can't be what I think he means, can it? Oh, my God…the ever loving horror!_ In all the years of obsessing, of practically stalking Jared, I'd quietly held a small secret hope that maybe all this time he'd shared some small inkling of interest in me as well. I'd fantasized that maybe he was just shy, too reserved to approach me, as I was too timid to ever approach him. Perhaps he was waiting for the right time….the perfect moment. Or perhaps…_perhaps he'd never noticed I even existed?_

At that realization a large book flew through the air and hit Jared squarely on the side of his head. "That's Kim Callaway, dipshit!" a gruff, deep male voice informed with authority. "She's sat next to you in just about every class since kindergarten."

The hard, angular face of Paul Lahote came into view at Jared's side. Jared looked stricken.

"Dumbass" Paul muttered, shaking his head at Jared and smirking.

**A/N – Thank you for reading! :) Next chapter s/b posted in few days. Just need to review and edit. Will contain first taste of lemon. **


	2. Chapter 2 All kinds of crazy

**A/N - Thank you so much for all of your kind messages and reviews. I really appreciate the love! :) This chapter does contain just a wee bit o lemon towards the end so be warned and look away if that's not your thing. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer - I'm not following the Twilight series timeline of events, I don't own anything, and I'm DEFINITELY not Stephanie Meyer. **

Jared's eyes grew wide and his bronzed complexion turned a shade darker. "Oh, yeah…right…Kim Callaway." He shifted awkwardly and cleared his throat. Maggie stole a peek through the fingers still covering her face.

"I… ah…didn't…recognize…you" Jared managed stiltedly. Paul chuckled.

"Your…um…hair is…different?" Jared continued valiantly. Paul snorted loudly, openly relishing in Jared's awkward predicament. Maggie groaned.

I didn't know what to say. I was embarrassed beyond comprehension, but seeing Jared's obvious distress somehow took precedence over my own discomfiture. So maybe he hadn't noticed I existed in the 17 years I'd lived down the street from him, or in the 12 years I'd gone to the same school with him, or in the 8 years I'd volunteered at the school library where his mom was Librarian in an attempt to make inroads with my future mother-in-law. _He was noticing me now, wasn't he? _That mattered for _something_. Truthfully, it mattered for _everything_ to me, and I wasn't about to let Paul make him feel like an idiot for it.

"Y-e-ah. I…ah…cut it" I squeaked out, staring shyly down at our still joined hands. When I looked up again Jared's perfect lips were breaking into that megawatt smile I lived for. I was dazzled and couldn't suppress a grin of my own.

"It looks really nice" he complimented. "I cut mine over the summer too." He smiled even broader. I bit my lower lip in nervous excitement.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me" Paul chortled.

Jared rolled his eyes in annoyance at Paul's unwelcome commentary and muttered dismissively, "Thanks for the re-introduction, Paul. I got it from here, man."

"Hmmf… sure you do" Paul mumbled dryly. In my periphery Paul's form seemed to turn away for a moment and I thought that he was going to finally leave us in peace. But as he stepped away uttering a "later" to Jared, something made him stop in his tracks and turn back again.

I was still swimming in the depths of Jared's chocolate irises, but from the corner of my eye I saw and rather _felt_ Paul move to stand closely at my side. _Too close_. It seemed as if he was generating as much heat as Jared and suddenly the air around me became a bit stifling. _Why couldn't Paul just disappear and leave us alone? _

"Well, well, I guess you _did_ mature a bit over the summer, didn't you, Kimmie?" Paul's voice sounded oddly silky and I felt a strange fluttering sensation in my belly.

"Uh…yeah…I…ah…got new boots" I answered lamely without breaking eye contact from Jared, hoping Paul would take the hint and leave already.

"Yeah, right…nice… _boots_" Paul breathed heatedly.

I could feel Paul's eyes on me, distracting me from my glorious moment with Jared. More heat washed over me and I felt an odd coiling sensation in my stomach. I wanted to be lost in everything Jared, but to my irritation an overwhelming compulsion to turn towards Paul overcame me.

I swiveled my head to find Paul staring intently at my breasts. His eyes were dark, almost black. His pink, bow lips were parted slightly, and he seemed to be breathing a bit hard as I noticed his massive, muscled chest and broad shoulders heaving smoothly up and down. The muscles in his jaw clenched and his nostrils flared as ebony eyes roved freely up and down my frame. My cheeks flushed crimson. Everywhere he looked at me I felt heat, as if he was directing a laser beam at me through his eyes.

_What the…? Dear Lord, this was the strangest morning of my natural life. _

Smoldering, deep set eyes finally met mine and I felt like I'd been sucker punched in the gut. They were bottomless, soulful, and they were penetrating my own with a gaze so predatory, so feral, it activated my flight response. I backed away from him, pulling my hand from Jared's in the process. Paul took a step closer and I backed up further until I was huddled next to Maggie up against the wall. Paul's gaze was unwavering in its intensity and I felt the coiling in my stomach intensify, spreading the warm, fluttering sensation straight to my core. A soft, choked whimper inadvertently escaped me and I felt Maggie grab my hand in hers.

Paul's nostrils flared and his hands and arms began to tremble slightly. _Holy mother he looked scary._ His eyes narrowed as he looked down at us. As he took another step forward Jared's arm shot out across his chest to halt him.

"Whoa, whoa…uh…Paul? What are you doing, brother? Calm down" Jared's anxious words were spoken barely loud enough for me to hear.

"Why of all the…" Paul gritted out between clenched teeth. He looked furious and yet… sort of oddly…_lustful?_ He was regarding me like he either wanted to throttle me or ravish me. I was terrified and confused, but my traitorous body felt bizarrely drawn to his intensity, to this _insanity _that was unfolding between us. My pulse beat wildly, the warmth and fluttering in my lower regions intensified to the point of discomfort and I felt moisture begin to pool between my legs.

"Back up, Paul, you're scaring her" Jared admonished.

Paul breathed in deeply and I watched as his irises seemed to take on a yellowish glint for a split second before returning to black. "That's not all I'm doing" he mumbled under his breath, regarding me pointedly. For some reason his voice and words made me even wetter. _What in holy hell was wrong with me?_

Girlish giggling and high-pitched chatter erupted from behind Paul and Jared's towering frames. I couldn't see them but I heard the distinct nasal tone of Darla's voice followed by Gabby's twitter. _Great, my boots' new best friends had arrived._

"_Fuck_…incoming!" Jared swore softly, nudging Paul in the ribs in warning as Darla and Gabby fluttered over to us.

Darla pranced over and practically pounced on Jared. "Jared!" she shouted unnecessarily, clinging onto his arm and beginning to prattle on about some bonfire party at the beach. Jared cast an apologetic look in my direction as he appeared to be trying his best to disengage from her without being overly brusque in his dismissal.

"_There_ you are, Paul!" Gabby exclaimed excitedly, throwing herself in front of him and effectively between us. Paul seemed to hesitantly break eye contact with me in order to look down at Gabby, who was now leaning into him, her perfectly manicured hands splayed eagerly across his chest. As much as I disliked Gabby, I knew I should have been thankful for her interruption. She had managed to deflect Paul's bizarre, unsettling attention away from me.

"You didn't call me" Gabby pouted up at him.

"Didn't say I would" he responded curtly, stealing a glance back at me.

She frown-pouted up at him and traced the indents along his muscled abs through his shirt with a long finger. "I missed you last night" she purred seductively, pressing the length of her body against him. _Gee,_ s_ubtle much?_

Paul rolled his eyes over her head and I couldn't help but find some small satisfaction in that. _Wait, why was I still standing here watching them?_ "You know I get busy, baby" he drawled. _Ewe, he called her baby. Were they dating? _

"I _know_" she whined, "and I'm _very_ understanding of that." She rolled her hips into him suggestively, _as _if we were all in some dark, foggy nightclub and not a crowded school hallway under glaring fluorescent lights. "I just need a little attention sometimes" she said breathily.

He pulled her in closer to him and wrapped his long, corded arms around her waist. His large hands reached down to rub and squeeze Gabby's jean-clad, perfectly heart-shaped ass. They dipped a little too low for appropriate in my estimation as his fingers came to rest almost in the cleft between her legs. Gabby purred in approval and rolled her hips against him again, spreading her legs a little wider in the process. I thought I might be sick. _I really should walk away. Or at least look away?_

Paul's head bent low to Gabby's ear and I heard him whisper, "Don't I always take care of you, baby? _Hmm?_" Gabby nodded into his chest. "Don't I always give you the best attention?" His nose barely grazed the shell of her ear. "In all the most important places?" His long, seeking fingers dipped lower, tapping lightly between her spread legs for the briefest moment before retreating back to squeeze her ass. Gabby's eyes shut and her mouth hung open slightly as she seemed to melt into Paul's embrace. _Jesus, where was a hall monitor when you needed one?_

Maggie squeezed my hand, diverting my attention from the X-rated scene likely to be enacted right in front of us at any moment. "Let's get out of here" she whispered.

Paul's eyes darted to us. My cheeks were completely flushed. I can only imagine the expression I wore on my face at that moment. _Panic? Confusion? Disgust? Horror? Disgust? _Whatever it was, it seemed to amuse Paul immensely. His lips twitched into a smirk and a low chuckle reverberated deep in his chest. And then he had the audacity to _wink_ at me.

Maggie took me by the elbow, blurted an uncharacteristically aggressive "Excuse me!" to Jared and Darla, who were blocking our path to my history classroom, and proceeded to almost plow into them with me in tow as they scrambled to step out of our way.

"Kim, Maggie, wait up!" Jared called after us.

"My _bag_?" I exclaimed, looking back at Jared and attempting to pull free of Maggie's grip.

Maggie dragged me a few more paces, dropped my elbow and went back herself to yank my bag from Jared's outstretched arm, sputtering a "thanks".

_Wow, where was all this newfound aggression coming from?_ I really needed to sit down and talk to Maggie about her summer.

Returning with my bag, she quickly ushered us into my first period classroom, which was already packed with students. The teacher hadn't arrived yet so everyone was chatting and milling about. "I gotta run, the bell's gonna ring any minute."

I took my bag from her. "Yeah, okay. Thanks. See you at lunch if not sooner? "

She nodded. She seemed to be gathering herself. "Kim, we _have_ to talk" she whispered, her eyes flitting about the classroom and back to the door nervously to make sure no one was listening, "that was all kinds of crazy out there."

"Uh, _yea-ah…ya think?_ " I whispered back, "I thought they were gonna go at it right in front of us in the damn hallway!"

Maggie's eyes squinted at me in confusion. Her head tilted to the side. "Oh. Well, yeah…that part was weird… too… I guess…" she trailed off, staring at me like I had two heads.

The warning bell rang. Maggie jumped and clutched a hand to her chest. _Damn, the girl was on edge._

"Do me a favor, Kim?" I nodded. She looked so serious. "Keep your distance from them both?" I frowned.

"Just…_please_? _For_ _now_?" she implored. My non-committal frown remained. She sighed. "I gotta go." She shook her head, bouncing her mass of springy curls as she dashed gracefully from the room.

_What? How could she even ask me that now?_ Now when by some answered prayer Jared was finally talking to me? Sweet Jesus he was actually _smiling _at me and holding my book bag. Asking me out on tours of LaPush no less?

She didn't have to ask me twice to stay away from Paul Lahote. I had no problem there. _But Jared?_ This was the most attention I'd received from him my entire life. She couldn't seriously think I would ever stay away from him now? Now that he had the body of a freakin Adonis and he actually seemed more interested in talking to _me, _plain Kim Callaway, than to supermodel Darla! _Teeheehee!_ I did a childish inner happy dance.

A cheesy grin overtook my face and I was giddy with excitement as I took one of the last few remaining seats available in my Quileute History class. As the final bell rang Jared and Gabby filed into the classroom. Jared immediately searched me out and rushed to snag the empty seat next to mine, blessing me with another one of his bedazzling smiles. I had a feeling my cheek muscles were going to be hurting by the end of the day and I couldn't have been happier about it.

Only a few minutes remained of my 4th period Physics class, the second class of the day I'd shared with Jared. Just as in History class, he'd purposefully chosen a seat next to mine. I was on cloud nine! I so desperately wanted to share my girlish glee over Jared with Maggie at lunchtime but I was conflicted, since I knew she was worried about him and Paul being in a cult or something and I didn't want to upset her further. She seemed so jumpy already lately. I'd decided her fears for me where Jared was concerned were completely unfounded. He'd been so sweet and gentlemanly to me all day long. So polite and _adorable!_ There was just no way he could possibly be in a gang or doing drugs. The rez was replete with all manner of ridiculous, absurd gossip; always had been, always would be. Just because a few guys bulked out over the summer was no reason for people to jump to such unsavory conclusions.

The bell rang, signaling lunchtime. Before I had even gathered my books, Jared was at my side offering to carry them for me. I thanked him and we walked together towards the cafeteria. I was blushing again_. I had been blushing all day._

"So, you said you were doing an internship over summer break?" Jared angled down closer into me as we strolled the noisy hall.

"Yeah, at my aunt's company in Los Angeles." I tipped my head up towards him, trying to ignore the stares and whispers I was sensing all around us. I couldn't help but notice and be a little bit intimidated by the many interested looks we were receiving as we made our way through the throng of students. Jared seemed completely unfazed by the attention.

"Cool. What did you do there?" Our shoulders brushed together as he leaned in even closer. _God, he smelled nice. _

"Um…my aunt Susie works for this big bank and well, basically, I helped out in her group which takes existing debt structures, refinances and repackages them into what they call pools, and then sells them to corporate investors." I recited the rehearsed response Alison had taught me. _Wow, it sounded so lame and boring._ I still didn't understand exactly what the heck they did with those "pools" or why anyone would want to buy them. I just knew it involved a lot of data and document collection on my part and staring at a lot of numbers on mind-numbing complicated excel spreadsheets all day long. I wish I could have boasted I'd been doing some exciting internship at Warner Brothers studios instead.

"Wow that sounds awesome! You're so lucky!" Jared gushed.

_Huh? Really? _He seemed sincere enough in his approval.

"So…um… can I join you for lunch? " Jared asked tentatively as we reached the cafeteria. _He wanted to sit with me at lunch? _This was all too much! I had to keep pinching myself to be sure I wasn't dreaming.

"Well…I was going to sit with Maggie…" I watched as his handsome face fell a little "so…could she sit with us too?"

He beamed. "Yeah, of course she can." I blushed…_again!_

We were early to the lunchroom and easily snagged an empty table near the corner. I hadn't had time to grocery shop since I'd gotten back and the food my dad kept on hand wasn't exactly lunch-worthy, so I excused myself to get in line while Jared kept our spots. His mom had packed him a lunch, _naturally_. Sandra Cameron was the Donna Reed of the reservation. She was beautiful and elegant and pretty much perfect in every way. She'd been my idol since being my Brownie troop leader when I was nine.

I purchased a bottled water, an apple and a pre-packaged salad. Figured it was best to eat light. I was already nervous enough to be eating with Jared.

When I returned Embry was sitting at our table across from Jared. I remembered Maggie telling me Embry was also in the new 'He-Men of LaPush' club but seeing it first hand was still startling. Embry had always been kind of lanky and awkward. Now he was as huge as Jared, maybe a tad taller, and equally as muscled. His long black hair had also been cropped. Embry was a sweet kid, smart and easy going but also a bit introspective and reserved, in a uniquely endearing sort of way. I'd always felt a kind of kinship with Embry, even though we'd never shared more than a casual acquaintance. Embry's shoulders were slumped and he had his head bent over a mountain of cafeteria food as I approached the table and took my seat next to Jared.

"Embry, hey! How was your summer?"

He glanced up briefly and nodded in my direction, mumbling "hey Kim" around a mouthful of food. His eyes looked hard and tired, his face drawn, his jaw set in a grim line. His face had thinned out and matured far beyond his years and he looked completely, utterly miserable.

"So what kinda prison food ya get?" Jared joked, eyeing my tray with interest.

My eyes remained riveted on Embry and for the first time I couldn't help but wonder if perhaps there was something more sinister going on in LaPush? The Embry in front of me was a mere shell of the boy I'd known him to be. He looked so empty, so… _broken_. His head remained bowed but I noticed Embry's eyes kept periodically drifting longingly to the left. I followed their path and saw his childhood best friends, Quil Ateara and Jacob Black, sitting at another table, looking somewhat dejected themselves. _What was going on here?_ Was it like Maggie had said and he wasn't allowed to hang out with them anymore? Quil and Jacob appeared to have experienced their own growth spurts over the summer as well, although not quite as dramatic.

Jared glanced back and forth between me and Embry. He must have guessed my distress because he reached across the table and playfully punched Embry in the shoulder. "Em! Dude, snap out of it. You're freaking Kim out." Embry jolted, sat up a little straighter and mumbled "sorry" in my general direction.

"Sorry, Kim" Jared informed on Embry's behalf, "Embry's been feeling a little under the weather lately." I nodded absently in assent and proceeded to unwrap and inspect my "prison" salad.

Jared turned his twinkling eyes and the full power of his charm on me then. "So, Kim… some of us were gonna go to First Beach after school today. You know, play a little ball, hang out and soak up the last of these summer rays while we still can. You game?" I nervously swallowed a piece of dry iceberg lettuce. He bit his pouty lower lip and raised his eyebrows at me in eager anticipation. "Come on, you have to go! I promise it'll be fun. _Please_?"

My heartbeat picked up as my mind raced through a montage of romantic beach scenarios involving Jared and me. _But…Ugh!_ I desperately needed to grocery shop and do laundry after school if I ever wanted to eat decent food again or have clean clothes. _Fuck it!_ I'd been making responsible, pragmatic decisions my whole life. I could stay up late doing laundry and endure prison food for one more day.

"I'd love to" I whispered, blushing clear to my hairline…_again!_

Jared beamed his megawatt specialty at me. "Yes! Awesome."

A shy giggle bubbled forth from me at his infectious smile and enthusiasm. Embry dropped his head in his hands and sighed audibly.

I spotted Maggie as she entered the cafeteria and raised my hand to wave her over. When her eyes landed on me and my lunch companions, they widened in incredulous horror. Her jaw clenched in irritation and she shook her head minutely back and forth. The look of sheer disapproval and disgust she shot me was one I'd never seen from her before. _Oh, shit, guess she really was serious earlier about wanting me to stay away from the He-Men club._

I smiled brightly at her, pretending not to notice her supreme annoyance, and waved her over again. She rolled her eyes and stormed back out of the cafeteria.

"Maggie!" I shot up out of my seat and called after her, just loud enough to draw mild attention from neighboring tables, but not loud enough to create a scene. Jared rose from his seat as well. I'd known Maggie since pre-school and I'd never seen her act this way. "Um…I gotta go" I muttered to Jared and Embry, gathering the remains of my tasteless lunch. Jared nodded sympathetically in understanding.

"Sure…meet me after school in the parking lot?" Warm knuckles brushed lightly back and forth against my elbow.

"Huh?" I startled, craning my neck back to look up into Jared's soft brown eyes.

"Beach."

"Oh. Yeah…right. See you then." I reassured shakily before bolting as inconspicuously as possible from the lunchroom.

I decided to check at Maggie's locker first, sprint-walking through deserted hallways. When I didn't find her there, I checked the band room, since she'd sometimes practiced clarinet at lunch. She wasn't there either. I tried all the outdoor courtyards, essentially jogging the entire perimeter of the school in the process. I was a little worried and a lot out of breath as I re-entered the school from the lower rear stairwell leading into the girls' and boys' locker rooms.

_I was a shitty friend. _For whatever reason, Maggie was genuinely creeped out by the He-Man club. And what did I do? Invite her to eat lunch with them after she begged me to keep my distance. I'd blown off my best friend because Jared the walking sex god was paying me attention after 12 years of stalking him. _God, I was a jerk!_ It was the cardinal rule of sisterhood not to abandon your girlfriend just because a guy came along.

I didn't see Maggie the rest of the day and by 7th period I was fairly convinced she'd probably just gone home. As I shuffled into my 7th period AP Chemistry class I was warring with my conscience over whether I should still go to the beach with Jared or skip out and go to Maggie's to check on her after school. _Duh? I should go to Maggie's, of course! It just pained me to miss out on my Jared beach frolicking fantasy._

I slumped into the last empty two person lab desk at the back of the classroom and waited for fate to decide my lab partner for the year. I hoped to Taha Aki it wasn't Darla. I didn't think she was smart enough to be in AP Chem, but as crazy as my day had been…_you never knew_.

Mr. Tesla was already passing out lab workbooks when fate threw me another curve. Paul Lahote ducked into class just as the bell rang. His black eyes instantly locked on mine. His signature smirk lit his face as he strode over towards the empty seat next to me. Just as it had this morning in the hallway, my body seemed to heat over wherever his eyes touched me.

He rested a hand at the back of my chair and bent to whisper teasingly in my ear. "Kimmie… Kimmie… so nice of you to save me a seat." My stomach somersaulted as his hot breath hit the sensitive skin below my ear and I shivered involuntarily. He let out a low chuckle and let his fingertips casually trace ever so lightly along the top of my shoulder and down my upper arm. Oddly delightful tingles spread out over me where he'd touched me. My breath hitched as a searing heat spread to my lower regions. He chuckled again and took his seat.

_Oh for the love of God!_ I was completely flustered and mortified not two minutes into class.

His chair scraped noisily across the floor as he scooted in even closer next to me at our shared desk. I stared straight ahead at the whiteboard, determined to ignore him and his bizarre effect on me. The uncomfortable pull and coiling I'd felt in my belly this morning had returned full force. Paul's leg brushed up against mine beneath the table, igniting an uncontrolled fluttering of nerves between my legs. I bit my lip.

"Don't worry. I won't bite unless you ask me to" he muttered dryly.

Another violent shiver coursed through me at the sound of his words. _I had to get a grip! This couldn't be happening? _

I remembered my yoga instructor's advice and decided to take a deep, cleansing breath. I inhaled through my nose to the count of five and exhaled to the count of five; then I did it again. From the corner of my eye I saw Paul staring intently at me, his brow furrowed…_in mock concern I'm sure_.

I ignored him and I breathed in deeply again through my nose…_and that's when I smelled it_. The sweetest, most deliciously succulent scent imaginable assaulted my olfactory. It was rich, earthy and sensual and like nothing I'd ever scented before. I inhaled deeply again. It had an element to it that was spicy like cinnamon but also sweet like vanilla, yet smelled better than either of those scents. I breathed in again, inhaling it greedily into my lungs. It smelled like warmth and comfort and … _home_?

I shut my eyes and inhaled again. _Dear Lord, I wanted to bottle it. I wanted to rub it all over myself. I wanted to eat it._ I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and let out a soft moan as an unbearably delicious heat spread over me. _What. The. Fuck. Was. Happening?_

I crossed, uncrossed and re-crossed my legs, attempting in vain to tamp down the fluttering of my wayward sex organ. I could feel my idiot nub pulsing against the seam of my jeans. _How could it not know we were in AP Chemistry class and this was NOT the time! _

I resorted to intermittent, shallow breaths in order to avoid breathing in too much of the heady scent that was now making me wild. Yet still, the ache between my legs persisted, intensifying with each passing minute. I wiggled anxiously in my seat, unable to focus on anything save the unrelenting tightening and coiling in my belly that was driving me beyond distraction. My palms were sweaty and I was flushed all over from the inferno which seemed to be building up inside of me. My insides were swiftly turning to liquid; liquid which I could now unmistakably feel pooling between my legs and soaking my cotton panties.

I felt Paul eyeing me from my side, silently watching me squirm and struggle against myself. I'd never felt more lost or more vulnerable. He stretched and shifted in his seat once more and his warm leg casually brushed up against mine again. I felt another sharp tingle run up my thigh to my weeping core. I gasped unwittingly in response. I couldn't take it anymore. I had to get out of the classroom and away from Paul and that crazy delectable smell before I either lost control of myself or passed out from lack of oxygen. I raised my hand and asked Mr. Tesla for a hall pass.

I'd not the slightest idea where I was going as I meandered aimlessly down the deserted hallway on wobbly legs. I was thankfully able to breathe freely again although still possessed by some irrational state of sexual duress which I'd never before experienced. _Christ this was all kinds of crazy!_

I'd barely even made it 30 feet when warm hands and huge muscled arms suddenly encircled me from behind, grabbing me roughly about the waist and lifting me off the ground. Before I even had a chance to protest, to register what was happening, I breathed in the torturously delicious scent again. It was right behind me, surrounding me…oh, dear Lord, it was _Paul_. Faster than I could blink, he'd hauled me down another hallway, flung open the door to a janitor's closet, and drug me unceremoniously inside. It was pitch black inside the storage closet. Paul had one arm banded across my rib cage, pressing my back firmly against his front.

"W-wha?" _What was he doing? What the hell was happening?_ I tried to turn around, to scream, to say something…_anything_…but all rational thought vanished as Paul's other arm wrapped around the front of my body and his large hand came to rest between my legs, cupping my aching sex firmly through my jeans.

"Oh… gah" I gasped out. It felt so good. I knew I should be stopping him, but at that moment I felt like I'd rather die than remove his hand as he started rubbing the heel of his palm adeptly against my bundle of nerves in smooth circles, his long fingers pressing deftly against my entrance through the barrier of my jeans. I froze. My heartbeat and my emotions raced. _What was I doing? I couldn't let this happen. And yet I didn't want it to stop._

"Shh…s'okay" he murmured reassuringly. "I'm not gonna hurt you." He trailed warm open mouthed kisses up my neck. The silky whisper of his deep baritone further set my nether regions aflame. "Trust me, Kim." He nibbled gently at my earlobe. "I promise I'll be good to you."

My stomach flipped and my sex fluttered in anticipation at his words. _I guess one of us felt that he was in earnest?_ My damp panties felt completely ruined now. This was crazy. Paul's hand moving between my legs felt so perfect, so right. For the first time the all-consuming insane ache between my legs was beginning to lessen…_or _perhaps_… increase_? Either way, dear Lord it felt better, so much fucking better, and I didn't want it to stop.

I felt Paul's long, muscular leg move between mine from behind, pressing against my inner thigh, urging my legs wider apart. "That's it, open up for me, sweetheart." My legs complied easily at the soothing timbre of his command and I allowed him to move and position my limbs as he saw fit. _Who was I to argue or question his judgment when his hands were making me feel so damn good? Oh, holy shit I'd gone completely crazy. _ As my eyes adjusted somewhat to the dark, I saw the outline of a large metal utility sink in front of me. I grabbed the side of the sink with both hands for support as my knees became unsteady under Paul's ministrations.

His hand ceased it's amazing massage momentarily as long fingers made quick work of the button and zipper at the front of my jeans. My heart began hammering out of control at the thought of what was happening. What I was _allowing_ to happen. What I _wanted_ to happen.

I didn't protest like I knew I should have as his hand slipped inside my jeans and underwear, his brilliant fingers immediately finding and ever so gently stroking my naked clitoris, his fingers gliding lightly back and forth along my wet folds. I groaned. I was sure this was the very best thing I had ever felt before…_ever_. "Fuck, sweetie" Paul cursed softly. "You're fucking soaked, baby."

"Ungh…ah…" I was whimpering and moaning. I'd never been so turned on and so scared out of my wits before. I felt his hot breath as he ghosted kisses along the shell of my ear.

"Shh…not too loud now. Just relax and let me take care of you. Let me put _us both_ out of your misery." I wasn't certain but I thought maybe I heard him chuckle. I didn't care. I didn't know how he knew what I'd been feeling or how he knew what I needed, at that moment I couldn't care. He was making me feel better, taking away my aching misery and frustration. I melted back into his hard body, my head resting limply against the warm wall of his chest.

"That's a girl. Just let it go." His hand bracing across my front snuck under my shirt and up to cup my breast. I stiffened in surprise but then his hot hand slipped beneath my bra to massage my bare flesh, his expert fingers teasing my taut nipple to an even harder peak, and I lost all will or thought to protest. He moved on to caress my other breast just as one long, thick finger slipped inside of me. My inner walls eagerly gripped his digit and I couldn't suppress the singular wail of pleasure that escaped me. Paul let out a stream of murmured "fuck"s.

"Shh… easy now, baby. Be a good girl and keep quiet for me, hmm?" I bit my lip and nodded. His talented finger began moving slowly in and out, increasing the pressure that had been building inside of me to an almost unbearable level. "Mmm…Kim, you feel so fucking good." He bit down gently on my earlobe then sucked it soothingly. "You're so fucking tight, honey. Relax for me, baby, let it happen." The sound of his voice alone made me drip, but hearing his sexy words of encouragement and terms of endearment were enough to make me almost come apart. I bit down on my lip harder to stifle the quiet moans that kept escaping me. I realized I had begun wriggling anxiously and pressing myself into his hand as much as I could manage within his steel embrace, desperate for more.

He drew me in even tighter against him, so that not a breath of air could have passed between us, and it was then I felt the hard length of what seemed to be an enormous erection pressed against my lower back. It should have freaked me out, but instead somehow it turned me on even more and I mindlessly began rubbing and arching myself back against him. He hissed lowly and tugged my nipple hard between his thumb and fingers in reprimand. It took all my willpower to suppress a shriek at the painful pleasure that shot through me. "_No!_" he whisper-growled close to my ear. "_Don't. _ Do. That." I whimpered in confusion but instantly ceased my movement. He kissed my temple and murmured a gentler, "Sorry. Trust me, sweetie, you don't know what you're asking for" in explanation.

Before I could comprehend the meaning of his words another finger entered my narrow passage. "Ungh…" I gasped and squeezed the cold metal beneath my now sweaty fingers harder for support. His thumb found my clitoris and began tracing small circles as his two fingers moved slowly in and out, stretching my tight channel. My inner walls tensed around him at the invasion and the powerful stimulation. "Breathe, baby." I gasped air into my lungs at his instruction. "That's a girl." His fingers pumped a little faster in and out of me and before long I was panting in ecstasy. "Easy now… just relax and let it happen" he coaxed. I was mindless with the sensations he was creating inside of me. I tried so hard to stifle it but I couldn't stop moaning. I writhed wantonly against his hand in an attempt to press his fingers deeper and harder inside of me. "Fuck, baby" he swore. "You like that, hmm?" I moaned in response. "That's it...feel good for me, baby." His thumb pressed firmer circles against my swollen nub, drawing another whimper from me. "Yeah…that's it, sweetie…that's a good girl."

Between the precision of his thumb on my clit and his clever fingers moving swiftly inside of my soaked core, I was in a complete frenzy. The coiling in my belly had reached an almost unbearable, painful level of tension. I was going to explode if I didn't get a release soon. "_Please, Paul_… _Ungh_…_I_ _need..._" They were the first actual words I'd spoken since Paul hauled me into the janitor's closet and the desperate voice that accompanied them didn't even sound remotely like my own.

"Shh…I got you... I know what you need" he grunted. The hand pleasuring my sensitized breasts moved swiftly from beneath my shirt to tangle in the thick mass of hair at the back of my head. Long fingers massaged deliciously into my scalp before gripping my hair firmly at the roots and tugging my head forward and to the side into a position of submission. Paul's mouth found the back of my exposed neck and suckled at the sensitive skin there. He nibbled, licked and sucked his way to the juncture of my neck and shoulder and then back again, all the while working me faster and harder with his fingers and thumb, bringing me closer and closer to the precipice. My whole body was a shaking, quivering mass; my weight supported more by Paul's hand at my core than my jello legs.

"Let go, baby" Paul crooned into my neck between nibbles. I was so close. I could feel it. I knew he was right. It was just a matter of letting go and falling over the edge. "That's it baby… you can do it…" His sexy voice and words had me frantic. But it was still so hard to let go. I'd barely ever been comfortable attempting to masturbate myself to orgasm in private. Certainly no one had ever touched me before, much less caused or been witness to me orgasm. _Oh, fuck this was all kinds of crazy!_ He must have known what his words were capable of doing to me as he kept whispering at the base of my neck, his fingers flexing and gripping harder at the roots of my hair, sending delightful shivers down my spine. I just needed a little bit more…of…_something?_ I wasn't sure what it could be…but I had a sneaky suspicion Paul did.

"Your pussy's so wet…feels so good…so hot and tight…so fucking wet for me…you don't know how bad I wanna taste you…" _Oh, holy fuck, that was it!_ He sucked hard at the back of my neck and I began to careen over the cliff. "Mmm…be good and come hard for me, okay?" I felt my inner walls begin to spasm out of control. "That's a girl…I wanna feel you come all over my fingers …" His fingers inside of me curled towards my front and I completely lost it. _Fucking holy Taha Aki!_ "Fuck, baby…yeah, that's it..." His teeth sank gently into the back of my neck as I came…_hard_. My body jerked as spasms overtook me. I bit my lip until I tasted blood in order to stifle my screams. Paul growled against my neck. "Ah, fuck me it's always the quiet ones…"

He slowed his movement inside of me and gentled his touch as my channel gripped his fingers repeatedly. "That's it…that's a girl…you did good, baby…so fucking good…" he coaxed and praised as I rode out and came down from the most earth shattering orgasm I'd ever experienced.

My knees buckled beneath me. Paul's hand which had been stroking my hair moved quickly to my waist. "Easy there." I fell limply against him, allowing him to take all of my weight. I closed my eyes and focused on breathing. I winced as Paul slowly removed his fingers from inside of me, where I now felt a little tender. I couldn't see it, but I heard Paul suck his fingers into his mouth just above my head and lick them clean. Somehow the reality of what had just passed between us fully hit me then. I shivered. He chuckled. "You okay?"

I couldn't respond. I was a dazed, boneless mass as he proceeded to zip and button my jeans, adjust and right my bra and tee shirt for me. Long fingers combed and smoothed my tangled mess of hair, then pulled it gently to one side where he tucked it over my left shoulder. Impossibly strong arms banded around my chest and waist in a surprisingly comforting and undeniably intimate embrace. Without thinking, my trembling hands reached up to absently stroke and grasp onto the muscled forearms and biceps now holding me together as well upright.

Paul's soft lips pressed to my right temple. I let out a shuddered breath. "It's okay, baby. I promise it's gonna be okay." He peppered the side of my face with warm, sweet kisses. "Shh…please, baby, please don't cry. I promise you're okay." At his words I noticed the dampness coating my cheeks and realized I was in fact crying.

An arm moved beneath my knees and before I knew it I was lifted and being cradled against Paul's chest. I sobbed silently into his tee shirt as he shushed and rocked me back and forth. I'd never been a big crier. And when I did cry, I'd always preferred to do it alone. Never in my wildest imagination did I think I would be crying in Paul Lahote's arms as he rocked and consoled me. _Of course, never in my wildest imaginings did I consider I'd be finger fucked to mind-blowing orgasm for the first time in a dark janitor's closet by Paul Lahote either._

A fit of maniacal giggles suddenly overwhelmed me at my train of thought and I went from crying in Paul's embrace to laughing hysterically in mere seconds. For as long as I could remember, my patterned distress response had always been uncontrolled and frequently untimely bouts of mirth. My initial reaction to the news of my own mother's death had been a fit of freakish, bawdy laughter, for which to this day I remained ashamed.

_Well, if I hadn't been able to shake Paul off before, this certainly oughta do it!_ Nothing made a man run for the hills faster than a psycho chick, right? And I decidedly fit the bill as I laugh-cried like a lunatic into his warm chest. An image of him ditching me like a dead weight into the utility sink and bolting, tickled me even harder and I snorted boorishly.

**A/N - So should she go to the beach after school or to Maggie's? Or just stay in the janitor's closet indefinitely? Thanks for reading and reviewing! **


	3. Chapter 3  Interrogation

**A/N – Thank you thank you for reading and for your very kind reviews! So, just wanted to point out that at this time we don't actually **_**know**_** that anyone has imprinted (well, of course, **_**I **_**know, but I'm not telling). Kim experienced a jolt of electricity and some other wonderful sensations at connecting with new He-Man Jared for the first time. With Paul she felt like she'd been sucker punched, along with more heat and some rather serious involuntary activities in her nether regions. Later she completely loses her shit just from his smell in Chem class. **_**Hmm**_**…maybe they both imprinted… maybe one of them did… or maybe no one did? Since this is all from Kim's POV we won't get any insight into the boys' minds any sooner than she will. **_**Sorry! I just can't let it be that easy. **_** I did update my profile page to include some general information on the main characters, if that helps. **

**Back to where we are in the story-I **_**SWEAR**_** there's an actual plot brewing, but I needed there to be just a little more citrus in this chapter. Okay, okay, so the entire chapter they're still in the janitor's closet. But I promise the interaction is important to the story line and I'm not simply being a perv. ;)**

**Disclaimer:**** I am **_**not **_**a self-proclaimed hausfrau who encourages impressionable young teenage girls to romanticize creepy stalker behavior, and therefore I am **_**not **_**Stephanie Meyer and I own nothing. **

Paul didn't toss me into the utility sink. He kept swaying me back and forth in his arms until my sniggering finally subsided. As my breathing calmed it became eerily quiet in the dark storage room and increasingly awkward as Paul made no move to stop rocking me or to put me down.

"Better?" His husky whisper came from just above my temple. I nodded silently against him. Another minute of silence ensued.

"Wanna talk about it?" his deep voice was soft, almost tender. I immediately shook my head "no".

"Sure?" He pressed. "Because…I…ah… _kinda_ _think_…" I emphatically shook my head again and he trailed off, sighing wearily and falling into silence.

I _should_ really say something._ What on earth does one say in this scenario? Talk about uncharted territory._ There _were_ so many things I needed to say, so many questions I needed to ask, but I was already beginning to disconnect from my rational brain again. I had a knack for dissociating. My cheek lay against his warm, shirted chest and in the silence I could now hear the thrum of his steady heartbeat. It sounded _nice_…soothing. I felt so warm snuggled against him and I felt oddly peaceful…_sated_. My fingers snuck up to brush and curl against his collarbone. My eyes drifted shut as I focused on the sound of his heart. The other sensation I became acutely aware of was that of Paul's chest rhythmically rising and falling with each breath, lulling me into a deeper calm. _Why was I so calm? Why was I just laying there in his arms still? Why did he seem content to still hold me in the first place? _

I was so relaxed I barely stirred when the tip of Paul's warm nose began lazily tracing my hairline and his hot lips ghosted back and forth across my forehead. I instinctively tilted my head slightly up to him and his lips continued their path, brushing gently against my eyelids. He lifted me higher in his arms and his forehead came down to graze mine, his nose nuzzling against the side of my own. I could feel the heat of his lips and the hot air of his breath directly above my mouth. _He wouldn't… would he? _

_He would._ His lips were softer than I'd imagined they'd be as they lowered to burn against mine, brushing gently back and forth, coaxingly. A thrilling rush of tingles spread throughout my entire body. My lips parted slightly and he nibbled and sucked on my fuller lower lip before retreating to my upper lip to lick and brush lightly back and forth again. He repeated variations of this action again and again until I caught on and began moving my lips tentatively against his. As gentle and languid as the touch of his lips was, I sensed an underlying urgency behind it as flames licked up my thighs to join the inferno swiftly brewing at the apex of my legs. He swallowed my gasp of surprise as he urged my lips further apart and his hot tongue drove inside my mouth. My mind completely shattered. I'd never actually tongue kissed before, and certainly none of the tepid kisses I'd previously experienced felt _anything_ like this. My hand crept up to wind around his neck and tangle in his hair, drawing us even closer together as I moaned into his mouth. His tongue plunged; his teeth bit and teased my lips, inducing a response from my body that was well beyond my control as I desperately pressed myself against him. _God damnit, this couldn't be happening all over again! _

A low growl rumbled deep in his throat and without breaking our kiss, his arm which had been supporting beneath my knees released and wound below my butt, shifting me into a vertical position against him. At the same time his arm at my back shifted and two large hands eagerly locked onto and kneaded the backs of my upper thighs, drawing my legs firmly apart and hiking me up around his waist. I wrapped my calves around him, digging my fancy boots into his firm backside to help balance and support my weight. My other hand clutched anxiously at his muscled shoulder. Paul swung us around and slammed my back up into the wall so fast my breath was knocked out of me and I unwittingly grunted into his marauding mouth.

His long fingers flexed and squeezed around my upper legs, his thumbs coming to rub gently back and forth along the top of my inner thighs, dangerously close to where I so anxiously wanted to feel him touch me again. His hard chest pressed up against mine, securing me in place against the wall. He held his abdomen and lower body slightly apart from me, evading me where I wanted to feel him the most. I crossed my ankles together, locking myself in place around him and attempting to pull his waist in closer to my aching center. It was like trying to move a boulder. I clung to his shoulders and pushed against the wall with my upper back to gain leverage, trying to move my pelvis closer, but his hands squeezed firmly against my inner thighs, immobilizing them and effectively keeping a painful distance between his body and my throbbing sex. I mewled pleadingly into his mouth. He broke our kiss, pressing his forehead against mine. We were nose to nose, both of us breathing heavily. _Oh, fuck me… there was that heavenly scent again!_

"So…" He drawled out. Hot, sweet breath washed over my face. I kept my eyes shut. I knew it was too dark to see much of anything but I still couldn't bear the thought of encountering his piercing black eyes so close penetrating into mine. "We're gonna talk now" he announced smoothly and with certainty.

_Uh…__**what**__? He wanted to __**talk**__? Now? What?_

"_Understand_?" His tone indicated the matter was incontestable.

I couldn't speak. I didn't even breathe.

His forehead left mine as his nose trailed over to nuzzle my ear. His fingers flexed and shifted higher along my thighs. His hands were so big and his fingers so long that they were able to grasp and maneuver around a fairly large circumference of my awkwardly thin legs. He massaged inward until I felt his thumb just barely brush up against my clitoris through my jeans. "Say yes, baby." He instructed, pressing his thumb firmly against my throbbing nub. _Oh, fuck me that felt nice._

"_Y-yes!_" I gasped out.

"Good…good." His thumb circled deliciously over my hot button for the briefest moment, then released. I whimpered in frustration.

"Tell me what happened to you in class just now?" His whispered tone was insistent. _And just a little frighteningly formal given the intimate position we were presently in._

_Oh. My. God... What the hell kind of twisted interrogation scene was about to take place?_

My eyes flew open to find the outline of his hard features directly in front of me in the darkness. I could just barely make out his deep set eyes…studying me with interest. I had been wise to keep my eyes shut before.

I swallowed hard and anxiously chewed my lip.

"Now, _sweetie_…" his deep baritone sounded dangerously glib "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on."

My pulse raced as my heart began hammering against my ribs. I decided it'd be best to close my eyes now and keep them shut. I was suddenly terrified. Terrified of the power Paul seemed to have over me and even more petrified that he appeared intent on wielding it.

_He would make me talk. He knew it. I knew it. _

He nuzzled my neck. "Shh…calm down, baby. I'm gonna make this easy. Just relax and you might enjoy it as much as I will." He chuckled at his own evil wit. His mouth found my pulse point and sucked onto it gently. I released a shaky breath.

"New question…" He announced as he trailed down and licked along my collarbone. "Just answer yes or no." I waited with bated breath.

His voice was kinder as he asked, "Is this the first time anyone's ever… touched you?" _Oh, so the mortifying questions were just going to keep coming, eh? _

"Hmm?" He prodded, tapping the seam of my jeans lightly in just the right spot again to get my attention.

"Yes!" I blurted. I was rewarded with his thumb stroking back and forth again. _Oh, God, this was all kinds of crazy and sick, but damnit it felt good. _

"Mmm… thought so" he commented succinctly, halting his thumb's caress. _Gah!_

_And _w_hat did he mean anyway? Wait… did he just insult me?_

"Do you touch yourself?" _I didn't see one that coming._ I suppressed a strong urge to argue the relevancy of such a question. I knew it was futile though.

"Yes or no, sweetheart?"

"No!" I grumbled in irritation.

"_No_?" He asked incredulously, forgetting to reward me for answering. "_Never_?"

"Yes…well… er…_sometimes_…but not…ah…really…_much_" I amended awkwardly. If any more blood rushed to my face I was sure to pass out. I was already hot enough in the poorly ventilated closet crushed against Paul's overly warm chest.

"Huh" Paul muttered, considering my response.

I dug my heels into him and wiggled my hips in his iron grip, trying to alleviate some of my pulsating discomfort-or at least draw his attention back to it. His smell was beginning to overwhelm me once more. _Lord, when did I become such a crazed slut?_

"Sorry… sorry" he chuckled, massaging his thumb firmly into my nub again. _Ah, that was much better._ I sighed audibly in relief.

He chuckled again and kissed my forehead. "You're so fucking cute, you know that?" The words were spoken almost reverently. But then the cross-examination resumed.

"Baby, I really need you to tell me what happened to set you off in class." This time he continued to pleasure me with his thumb, pressing a little harder and picking up the pace.

"Don't… know" I panted.

"Was it me? Did I do something to set you off?" He rubbed the tip of his nose against mine and I licked my lips. _Fuck, that_ _smell…that smell!_ I wanted to taste his tongue in my mouth again. His thumb maintained its steady pace as his other hand massaged its way under my butt cheek, the tips of his adept fingers pressing into the cleft of my ass and rubbing back and forth along the seam of my jeans between both of my openings. _ Holy fuck, that felt good. _My panties couldn't possibly get any wetter.

"N-yeah…" I moaned a little too loudly. I felt so hot I thought I might explode.

"Mmm… what was it?" His mouth ghosted over mine and I licked the tip of my tongue out experimentally to taste his lips. "Because I gotta tell you, baby" he accommodated my silent request and sucked and nibbled on my lower lip "that was some kind of fuck hot crazy heat you were throwing off back there. I thought I was gonna lose it and bend you over the lab desk."

The image his words conjured up brought such a sharp tingle straight to my burning core I thought I might come apart right then.

"Tell me what I did to set you off, hmm?" He abandoned my lips to suck on my ear lobe.

"Smell" I choked out. I was dying. I needed more and he was deliberately holding me off.

"_Smell_?"

"Y-yeah. You…you smell good." As soon as the words passed my lips I realized how ridiculous it was. I sounded like some bimbo in heat in an Axe Body Spray commercial.

"_Really_?" That seemed to pique his interest. He stopped sucking my ear. "Tell me about how I smell to you, Kim?"

"Good. So fucking good" I panted. _If I could just keep him rubbing me a little longer-_

"Yeah? How good? Be specific." _Thank Taha Aki he wasn't stopping his touch anymore in between questions._

"Umm… I wanted to eat your smell… I wanted to rub it on me." _Oh, please, rub it on me...I'm so close._

"Fuck, Kimmie" he swore. "That's fucking hot, baby." His mouth assaulted mine, his tongue pillaging and claiming every inch until I was breathless and on the brink of combustion. And then he broke away too soon.

"Are you in love with Jared?" _What? Was that normal for a guy to ask just before he was about to get you off?_ His talented fingers cruelly ceased all movement and I almost screamed in frustration.

"Y-yes." There was no point in denying it.

"Thought so" he said matter-of-factly. It seemed like he didn't care much either way. _Why did he even ask?_

And then, for reasons I'll never fathom, I asked, "W-what about Gabby?"

"What about her?" he quipped in a manner that indicated it was a completely irrelevant and off topic question. I had no response so I just shook my head dismissively. I already regretted asking the question.

"Focus, baby" he chided lightly. "I'm asking the questions. When my dick's in your hands and you're jerking me off, you can ask me anything you want. Deal?"

I nodded, silently deciding that I would _never_ ask him another question…_ever_ again.

"So… how does Jared _smell _to you?"

"Um… _good_?"

"_How_ good?" He pressed his fingers blissfully into me again.

"Real good?" I was talking in questions again.

He grunted his annoyance. "Be fucking specific, Kim" he whisper-snarled a little harshly "this is important." To my supreme frustration he abandoned pleasuring me yet again and I whined softly.

He was really a natural at torture and interrogation. I could imagine Paul easily finding work in a gulag somewhere after graduation.

"Do you wanna '_eat his smell'_ and '_rub it on you'_? Does he smell as good to you as I do?"

"No-o…it's just…_regular_ kind of good…you know…_nice_."

"Just nice, eh? That's all? You sure?" His fingers began moving again.

"_Yesssss_!" I hissed. "Oooh…ah!" He'd just hit the right spot_._

"Good" he seemed to exhale a breath of relief "that's good."

_Fucking Weirdo! He didn't care if I was in love with Jared, as long as I thought he smelled better? _

"Do you want me to stop touching you?" _What? Why would he ask that question now?_ _Did it look like I wanted him to stop? _His hands were swiftly working me into a frenzy.

"N-o-o" I shook my head a little too emphatically and he snickered.

"So…just so we're clear…you're _certain_ you're in love with Jared?"

"Unh…huh…ah…yeah" I managed as I felt myself drawing deliciously closer to the brink.

"_But…_you don't want me to stop fondling your hot wet cunt until you come apart all over my hands again? Do I have that right?" _Talk about a buzz kill._

_He really was the fucking devil. _My eyes flew open as my jaw dropped at the horrific truth of his statement. Even in the darkness I could clearly make out an enormous, obnoxious smirk dominating his features. His fingers stilled.

"You don't actually have to answer that one, baby. It was more or less rhetorical."

I wished I could go back in time and listen to Maggie. She was so right. She'd always been the smart one after all. _Maybe there was still time to transfer to Alison's school in California?_

Then I asked another question I was likely to regret.

"Are you going to tell Jared? About… about _this_?" My mouth felt dry and I almost couldn't hear my own whispered words.

"Noo…no course not" he hastened to reassure me. "Why would I share such personal information about you with Jared when the two of you only met for the first time this morning? That would hardly be appropriate."

His words might just as well have been a knife in my heart…and a splash of ice water over my throbbing sex. I understood now how he'd earned the reputation which preceded him. Paul Lahote really was all kinds of cruel.

My hands pushed weakly against his shoulders and I unhooked my legs from around his waist. "Let me go" I whispered, trying to wiggle my legs down to where I could touch the ground, but his hands gripped my buttocks, his heaving chest still pressed mine into the wall, holding me up at his eye level, so that my feet dangled off the ground. "Let me go, please." I whispered shakily again, looking anywhere but his eyes in the dark. My own stupid eyes were now filling with tears.

"If that's what you want" he whispered detachedly. His fingers dug into the flesh of my ass and he drew my pelvis, which he'd so irritatingly been holding apart from him all this time, flush against his hard stomach. My breath caught slightly, and to my everlasting shame I was unable to stifle a moan as he slid me down his body, taking care to press my throbbing center firmly _and ever so slowly_ against the length of his rock hard erection on the way down. I shuddered as my feet touched the floor.

I hated him. I wanted to get as far away from Paul as possible. And yet I could still feel my traitorous body pulsing and aching for him. I was such a mess. I would have to add this to the list of things I already knew I needed to be in therapy for.

I was eye level with his chest now, my hands still resting numbly at his shoulders. Warm hands slipped up to my waist, brushed lightly past my ribs and the sides of my breasts to carefully cup the back of my neck. "I'm not your enemy, Kim" his deep, hollow voice avowed from above me. I felt the first errant tears spill over and trail down my cheeks.

He tipped my face up, gently wiping my tears away with the rough pads of his thumbs. "I promise I'm not out to hurt you." I swallowed hard, willing myself not to look into his eyes. I trained my sights on his neck, focusing on his bobbing adam's apple. His words sounded so genuine, but I knew better than to believe him.

"In all the years you've known me" he continued beseechingly, "have I ever hurt you before, Kim? Have I ever…_ignored_ you…made you feel invisible?"

No. He hadn't. I'd largely avoided Paul over the years based solely on his reputation. He'd never actually said or done anything to warrant my steadfast avoidance of him until today. In fact, I remembered one time he'd actually come to my aid freshman year when an upperclassman had picked on me in the hallway during "hell week" by knocking my books out of my arms. Paul had grabbed the kid and thrown him into a wall of lockers, cursing at him to leave me alone or suffer the consequences. The incident had surprised and somewhat baffled me, but I had always chalked it up to likely being less about Paul being nice to me and more about him taking advantage of an opportunity to assert his power and male dominance over the other boy. And while he hadn't made any great effort to befriend me over the years, as we certainly ran in different social circles, he had always quietly acknowledged me. He'd never ignored me. Unlike…

_No! No, I wouldn't think that way about Jared._ He was noticing me now! He was noticing me now! I chanted over and over inside my head. He'd sat next to me every class we were in today and invited me to the beach with him. _Fuck! The beach! _I needed to meet him in the parking lot after school and 7th period was probably almost over at this point.

"I have to go" I murmured brokenly, pushing futilely against his immovable wall of a chest.

He sighed. "I'll let you go, sweetheart. But not until you promise me something."

_Great! Now comes blackmail? I should have guessed. _

"Promise me you'll look after yourself tonight…and tomorrow morning…and anytime throughout the day you have to from now on?" _**What**? Did he actually mean what I think?_

"Uhh…I…uhh…umm…" was all I could muster in response, looking up into his eyes now in an attempt to gauge his sincerity.

"I mean it, Kim." His dark expression was utterly serious. "When you get worked up…**_I_** get worked up" he explained _as if the situation he was describing made perfect sense_. "So unless you want to fail Chemistry… _and lose your virginity_" he emphasized clearly and slowly "you'd better be more diligent about taking care of things down there yourself from now on."

My jaw would've been on the floor had he not been holding it up towards him.

"Trust me on this" he stressed as his eyes burned down into mine.

I was still hopelessly speechless. He raised a dark brow.

"Do. You. _Understand_?" he enunciated slowly like I was mental.

I was completely confounded, but I nodded in agreement anyway, desperate to be out of such close proximity to Paul.

"Good." He released my chin and backed his body away from me so fast I stumbled forward and nearly fell. He didn't bother to assist me as I trip stepped awkwardly to catch my balance. Blinding light flooded the small room as Paul yanked the door open and exited in the blink of an eye. The door shut behind him and I was left alone in the darkened closet, my body trembling; my mind scattered.

**A/N – Thank you SO MUCH for reading and reviewing! To all the Jared supporters, don't worry he gets his fair chance in Kim's pants too…but not for a few more chapters. ;) Is it so terrible of me that I just think Meyer's plain, vanilla Kim deserves some fuck hot loving and a choice between two hot wolves? Just sayin'! **


	4. Chapter 4 Awkward Encounters

**A/N – THANK YOU for continuing to read and bless you for your kind and generous reviews! As a reminder, this story is non-canon and AU so characters may not phase and events may not occur in the same sequence or timeline as the book.**

**Pimping: I've been following ****TheBiteOfFrost****'s work for a while now and if you haven't checked out her Paul stories yet, I highly recommend it! Her Paul in ****Speak ****is hands down the darkest, scariest, most disturbing Paul I've ever read. The story deals with bullying and abuse and some extremely sensitive and daring subject matter to tackle as a writer. It takes guts to push hot buttons and enter taboo territory. (Oh, and she's got a really hot Embry too!) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything I just like playing around with hot wolves. **

I stood alone in the darkness, inhaling Paul's lingering scent into my lungs with quick, shallow breaths as I attempted to get a handle on myself and the situation at hand. My heart was racing out of control and my chest felt uncomfortably tight. _Please don't let me have a panic attack. Please don't let me have a panic attack!_ I prayed silently again and again.

There was no time for a panic attack, I mentally scolded. I had to pull myself together, get to class, grab my bag, and get to the parking lot to meet up with Jared. I moved quickly to reassemble myself. I felt lightheaded and my hands wouldn't stop shaking as I smoothed my clothes back into order, wiped my tear-stained face and attempted to detangle and straighten my wild hair.

It was impossible to tell in the dark how well I might have re-composed myself physically. Internally, the process did little to quell my increasing distress, as I realized there was no way I could possibly meet up with Jared in my present condition. _I was a fucking wreck._ I was also pretty sure I reeked like a mixture of Paul and sweaty underwear. I had to go home and get cleaned up, first and foremost. _And I needed to see Maggie!_

But I couldn't bear the thought of standing Jared up. I would have to get a message to him somehow. Unfortunately I didn't know his cell phone number—or have a working cell phone on me myself, for that matter. I hadn't had a chance yet to stake out where his locker was this year to be able to leave him a note and I didn't know what class he had 7th period.

I shuffled in the darkness towards the outline of the door and managed to trip on a sizable hard object on the floor in front of me. I barely caught myself, half falling and noisily rattling a metal shelf as I grabbed onto it for support. I bent carefully to investigate and discovered a satchel filled with numerous large school books…_my_ books; it was _my_ book bag!

My face flushed warmly at the thought of Paul having the forethought to grab my belongings for me before following after me in the hallway. I definitely hadn't realized he'd had my bag on him when he picked me up and carried me into the closet. _Of course, I hadn't exactly been in a state of mind to notice such details at the time._

I blushed harder as I recalled the frenetic state of mind I had been in when Paul first caught up with me and dragged me into the storage room. Detailed memory of the carnal activities which had transpired between us flooded me, making me even hotter. My stomach flipped and I felt an aching void amid my legs. _Oh, my God! What was wrong with me? _

_What in the world had I done? How could I have done those things with Paul Lahote? __Would he blackmail me with it for the rest of my life? What could he possibly want from me? Did he want me to supply him with answers on tests and completed homework assignments for AP Chemistry? Was that what this was about? _

_Ohgodohgodohgod! _I had to get a hold of myself! I couldn't think about Paul and what had happened now. I had to get moving! I grabbed my heavy bag of books and slung it over my shoulder.

I stepped out into the bright hallway to find Jacob Black, an underclassman a year younger than me, casually strolling by. His eyes flew wide as they took me in. I squinted at the change in light, ran a sweaty, shaky hand through my still tangled hair and feigned my best look of nonchalance as I casually shut the closet door behind me. Jacob's brows drew together and he stopped in his tracks directly in front of me.

"Kim, did you just come out of the janitor's closet?"

"No" I responded easily, looking up to meet his narrowed dark eyes. _It was a stupid question- what did he expect? _

"_M'kay_." He nodded slowly, eyeing me like I was deranged. He really _had _grown over the summer. He'd filled out quite a bit and was much taller than he'd been the last time I'd seen him.

"You okay?" He asked, still regarding me speculatively.

"Uh-huh." I nodded eagerly.

"_Riight_." He tilted his head to the side. _Well, this conversation was swiftly going nowhere._

And I didn't have time to waste. I was about to excuse myself when it occurred to my frazzled brain that Jacob might be friends with or have some manner of social interaction with Jared and would be able to pass on my message for me. Maybe Jacob was going to the beach too? Jacob seemed to be friendly with most everyone. He had always been good-natured and jovial, just like my Jared, and he was the consummate boyscout type; certainly trustworthy for such a mission.

"Um… by any chance do you know Jared Cameron?"

Jacob's eyes immediately darkened and the muscles in his jaw twitched. "Nope, and I'm not looking to" he bit out as muscled arms crossed defensively over his chest. He looked more than just a little annoyed. He looked… _positively infuriated_. His nostrils flared and I could have sworn his entire body looked like it was trembling.

_Huh? He didn't like Jared? Who didn't like Jared? _Then I remembered Embry's new association with the He-Men club and the awkward, unspoken exchange I'd seen take place between Embry, Jake and Quil at lunchtime.

"Oh…well…nevermind…_sorry_…" I trailed off feebly, blushing in embarrassment at having unwittingly upset him so much. Then I threw in an extra "sorry" since he seemed so riled up. We weren't exactly close friends, but Jacob had worked a few summers for my dad at his shop and so we'd interacted a bit outside of just school. Plus, he and Maggie had hung out since childhood as their fathers were friends and both members of the Tribal Council. Jacob was always such an affable kid I'd never even imagined he had a temper.

He sighed and ran a hand through his long black hair. "S'alright" he shook his head. His cheeks were a little pink. "I'm sorry, Kim. I just…" he looked to the ceiling for the right words "I just don't like the guy is all."

"Oh, I… see" I nodded stiffly, trying to appear empathetic. There was really nothing else to say and I was feeling anxious at the palpable tension permeating the air. "Well nice chatting with you, Jacob."

"Sure…sure." He managed a rueful half smile.

I nodded and ambled past him, my feet picking up speed as soon as I was a few yards away.

"Hey, Kim?" he called after me suddenly. I jumped a little and spun around, my heart sputtering. _Jesus, my nerves were shot._ He'd somehow silently followed me a few paces and was standing far closer than I'd expected to find him when I'd turned around.

"Yeah?" I tried to ask as suavely as possible, despite the fact my hand was clutched to my chest like some octogenarian experiencing a heart attack.

"You should stay away from Jared" he advised gravely in a low voice. He was looking at me in an endearingly concerned, big little brother sort of way. The expression on my face must have been a giant question mark. His eyes darted around anxiously and he sighed wearily.

"Look, it's just…I know it's not my business, but I saw you sitting with him at lunch and well…you're such a sweet person and…he…he's just…_different _now." He searched my eyes for some evidence of my understanding. I'm pretty sure he found none.

I smiled weakly in appreciation for his concern as I nodded vacantly in response. "Sure…uh…thanks for the…advice." _How many more absurdly bizarre and awkward encounters could I possibly endure in one day? _

"Sure" he nodded "See ya, Kim." He eyed me up and down once more.

"Yeah, see ya." He made no move to walk away and just continued staring oddly at me. I flattened my lips together between my teeth, nodding again like the idiot bobble head I had become. _Al-righty!_ I raised my hand in a dorky "goodbye" salute and quickly turned and jetted down the hallway. Where I was headed, I hadn't a clue.

Without even realizing it I found myself rushing towards the entrance to the library. Some floundering part of my brain had decided Sandra Cameron, Jared's mom, would be a good person to pass along a message for him to. As soon as I reached the glass double doors, thankfully my rational brain regained consciousness and I halted, swiftly turning away and down the hall before Sandra might possibly see me. What a completely boneheaded move that would have been! No one wants their mom involved in their personal life, no matter how cool the mom and especially not when your mom works at the school. _God, why was I always such a social moron?_

I glanced at the clock in the hallway, noting it was just five minutes before 2:30, when the bell would ring to signal the end of 7th period. _Fuckit!_ _There was no time._ I needed to just bolt before class let out. I half-sprinted down the hallway, tilting gracelessly to one side to offset the weight of my loaded book bag. As I rounded the corner to my destination hallway which lead outdoors to the school parking lot, I slammed straight into a warm, shirted, brick wall and stumbled backwards; limbs flailing, book bag flying. Just as my ass was expecting to meet cold concrete, two huge hands shackled my wrists in a painful vise-like grip, yanking me swiftly back up to my feet. Unfortunately, the brick wall didn't know its own strength and yanked me clear off the ground, sending me flying straight back into his impossibly hard, barreled chest again.

"Awe, fuck me sideways" cursed a deep, gruff voice from above me. I looked up into Embry's frustrated, flustered face.

It felt like all the bones in my wrists were about to be snapped.

"_Ow! Ow! Ow!_ Holy shit, Embry! Let go of me!" I shrieked. He released my wrists instantly and I stumble-stepped backwards to catch my balance.

"_Sorry!_" he apologized sincerely "I'm _so, SO_ sorry, Kim!"

I hugged my pained wrists to my stomach, eyeing Embry up and down in disbelief. He was shuffling nervously, pulling at his short, spiky hair and mumbling "fuck fuck fuck fuck".

"Jesus, Embry" I panted "calm down, I'm okay." I extended and wiggled my tender wrists tentatively and winced. They were definitely going to be bruised but nothing seemed to be broken.

"Awe, fuck, Kim, can I see?" he asked, approaching me with his enormous hands outstretched towards my wrists. I jumped back reflexively, drawing my wrists in tightly against my stomach again. Embry looked at me like I'd slapped him. His flushed face was devastated. For a horrible moment he seemed almost on the verge of tears.

"It's okay, it's okay, Embry!" I hastened to assure him again. "I'm sorry…it's just…you're like frickin superman strong or something. I know you didn't mean to hurt me. I just… thought you were gonna snap my wrists or… pull my arms out of their sockets."

He fisted his hair again and paced anxiously. "Yeah…uh…well, you know I've been working out and…uh…sometimes I…sometimes I don't remember my new strength…ya know?" He stopped pacing to study my reaction.

"Sure…sure…I can see… how that could happen." I nodded agreeably, hoping my face didn't look as horrified and dubious as I suspected it did. "No worries, Embry, I'm fine."

He looked skeptical. Then another pained expression crossed his features and he resumed his frantic pacing. "Oh, fuck me fuck me fuck me…Jared's gonna fucking kick my ass…shit fuck fuck, _Paul_'s gonna fucking kick my ass…fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck…" _Christ when did Embry start swearing like he had Tourette's? _ Was this a side effect of the steroids? _Or whatever drugs he was clearly on?_

Then it occurred to me... _Jared! I could get my message to Jared! Embry was the perfect ambassador. _

"Listen, Em, I'm fine and I _promise_ I won't say anything to either Jared or Paul." I wasn't really clear on why either of them would care so much anyway, least of all be upset with Embry simply because he'd inadvertently squeezed my wrists a little too hard while trying to prevent my fall. "But will you do me a favor, please?"

"_Yeah_?" he winced, tugging at the back of his neck.

"Will you tell Jared I'm sorry but I can't meet him in the parking lot to go to the beach today? I…ah…have to get home and um…take care of some things."

He nodded, dropping his hand from his neck. "Yeah…yeah…totally, no prob" he seemed relieved. "For the best I'm sure" I caught him mumble almost incoherently under his breath as I crouched to gather my scattered bag and books.

"What?"

"Ah…nothing… I'll tell him." He smiled feebly. "I'm really, really sorry, Kim. You sure your wrists are okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry, Embry." I stood with my bag, moved closer to him and held my wrists slightly out for his inspection. My intention was to reassure him, but they were already starting to bruise around the swollen red marks where his hands had bit into me. He sucked a breath in through his teeth and winced.

"Looks worse than it is, I promise!" I stepped even closer and cautiously placed a reassuring hand on his muscled forearm. _Why did all three of them always feel so hot? Was there a drug that could even bring on that sort of effect? _"Thanks for…um…preventing me from falling on my butt. Might've broken my tail bone or something if you hadn't caught me."

"Thanks, Kim." He smiled and it actually reached his eyes for the first time that I'd seen all day. "You're really sweet, you know that?"

I was about to say "thanks" and hastily make my exit when Embry's brows furrowed suddenly and he started sniffing the air repeatedly. He leaned in close to me, bending down to sniff around my shoulders and neck. _What. The. Fuck?_ _Was it cocaine he was on? That made people sniffle a lot, right? _

His eyes were crazy wide as he drew back to look at me. _Yep, he had to be on drugs._ "Uhhhh… so…is that it? Any other messages you want me to pass along?" he asked curiously.

My jaw dropped open slightly. "Uh…no…no, thanks, Em."

He nodded, tucking his lips between his teeth. "Mm…hmm." He seemed to be taking inventory of my disheveled appearance as he eyed me up and down. He took a step back. "No messages for Paul, then?"

My face instantly erupted into a volcano of heat and I blushed furiously clear to my hairline. I think my eyes bugged out of my head briefly before I was able to regain control over my reaction, which had certainly not been lost on Embry based on how he was now looking at me.

"What? Noo! No… no messages for _Paul?_" I stammered, as if he was completely absurd for asking. _Oh, my God, did he suspect? _

"_Riight_…" he nodded "m'kay."

_The guilt was surely written all over my crimson face! But how in the world? Sweet Jesus, did I really reek that much of sweaty underwear? _

The bell rang suddenly and I startled, clutching my hand to my chest again.

"I… gotta go" I sputtered out and made a dash for the parking lot.

I pressed the gas, pushing my piece of shit Toyota Corolla as fast as it would go. The beauty of having a mechanic for a father meant that there was never a car too old or too shitty to be driven anymore. No, those were the best kinds of challenges for him. It didn't matter if they continued being a challenge by consistently breaking down over and over again either…apparently that only added to the fun of it.

When I reached Maggie's house I was relieved to see her car was there. _So she had gone home after all._ Maggie's mom, Angie, answered the door wearing an enormous grin and drying her hands on a bright blue apron. Mrs. Jenkins was short and slightly stout. She was a gregarious and attractive woman. Aside from her mother's doe-like eyes, Maggie had definitely taken after her dad's side in terms of her looks and demeanor.

"Kimmie!" she squealed loudly enough for the entire neighborhood to hear before wrapping her arms around me and lifting me off the ground in a hug.

"Hey, Mrs. J is Ma…" I began but was interrupted abruptly as Mrs. Jenkins drew back to inspect me from head to toe.

"Oh, my _GAWD!_ Honey, you're _GORGEOUS_!" Her hand flew to her mouth and tears welled in her hazel eyes. Her lower lip wobbled. _Oh, this was always awkward._

"Thanks, Mrs. J." I deadpanned as politely as possible, trying to look anywhere but at the absurdly over the top expression on her face. _Receiving compliments was never my thing._

"It's just…it's just…_OH MY GAWD, honey!_" she drew in a sharp breath. "You…you just look more and more like your beautiful mama every day, God rest her soul." Her eyes flew heavenward as she pressed her hand over her heart.

I shrugged and nodded awkwardly, clenching my teeth together uncomfortably. I would never have an appropriate response to that one. No matter how many times relatives or friends of the family said it to me. I hated it.

I knew Maggie's mom was sincere in her kindness and genuinely meant to compliment me. But it didn't negate the fact that my gut reaction would always require resisting the urge to punch anyone in the face who drew similarities like that between me and my mother.

"Is Maggie home?" I asked anxiously, hoping to move things along.

"Oh, no sweetheart" she licked her palm and then reached down to rub dust from the side of my dark jeans. _Oh, my God, the janitor's closet! _ She proceeded to swipe both hands repeatedly down the front of my tee-shirt, which to my horror I now saw displayed some sort of dirt or dust stains as well. "She came home early because she wasn't feeling well but then she wanted to talk to her dad so she went to look for him at Billy Black's house before the council meeting tonight."

"Oh… okay."

"Why don't you come on in and wait for her to get back?" She had moved on to picking tiny pieces of _styrofoam peanuts?_ from my pants. _Jesus, how had I not noticed those before?_ "We can have some cake and tea and you can tell me all about your fun summer down in the land of the fruits and nuts! How 'bout it?" Her eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Gosh…well…I have all this laundry to do and grocery shopping so…maybe another time?" I was already backing stealthily away from her and her grooming as she stooped to swipe more dust from the seat of my pants. I was halted by the sound of a blood curdling scream directly beneath me.

Mrs. J grabbed my hands in hers before I could lift them to comfort my bleeding eardrums. "Oh, my gawd, your wrists, sweetie! What happened?"

_Great. I rolled my eyes above her head. _"It's nothing, Mrs. J. It was just a random accident" I tried to state as simply as possible, hopefully leaving little room for any added interpretation as her eagle eyes penetrated mine.

"Are you _sure_, sweetheart?" She eyed me cautiously, gauging my reaction. "These look suspiciously like _hand marks_ to me." She'd whispered the last part, looking utterly horrified, definitely contemplating the worst.

"I know, I know" I sighed. "I was falling down at school and one of the guys grabbed me by the wrists in order to help me but he accidentally squeezed them too hard. I promise it was just an accident, Mrs. J."

"Which boy?" she demanded, leaning up on tiptoe to look directly into my face.

"Uh…Embry Call?" I answered warily.

Her eyes darted about and then a strange look of recognition passed across her features. "Oh" she said simply, seeming to be satisfied now that she knew it was Embry. _Weird._

"Well, okay, then. Don't forget to ice and put something on those bruises." And then she was practically shoving me off the front stoop in some new eagerness to end the conversation and now be rid of my company, after she'd only just asked me to stay moments before. _No wonder Maggie was so high strung. Her mom could be bat shit crazy at times. It was enough to put anyone on edge living with that._

"Will you tell Maggie to call me, please? Or, better yet, just tell her to please come over when she gets back? I _really_ need to talk to her!"

"Uh-huh, uh-huh, will do, sweetie! Bye, now!" she hurriedly assured me as she shut the door in my face.

I'd intended to head straight for the shower when I got home but somehow I wound up bustling about doing laundry and some desperately needed cleaning first. The place was a disaster! It appeared my dad hadn't even attempted to clean one single surface the entire summer I'd been away. At least he was tidy and sort of kept things in order, I guess, albeit dusty…and dirty.

I scavenged for food, coming up with dried apricots and an old package of chopped frozen spinach. It'd have to do. I hadn't eaten much all day and the acid in my empty stomach was starting to get mean.

I showered, trying not to think about Paul and where he'd touched me; trying not to hear his throaty voice in my head, coaxing me to orgasm. I wondered if that was normal? Was I some sick sexual deviant that I needed someone to coach me like that in order to let go? To bite my neck in order for me to release? _Shitfire, he'd actually bitten my fucking neck!_ I reached up to finger the spot behind my soapy hair. It felt a little tender, but in a good way. _Just like some other places Paul had explored._

It was all so weird. _Why would Paul do this to me?_ He'd been deliberately mean in pointing out Jared's oblivion and obvious indifference to me all these years. But I wouldn't let him plant those seeds of doubt in my head about my Jared!

_Jared liked me now! He liked me now, I just knew it!_ _It was all going to work out just like I'd always imagined it would. _

_Why did Paul have to smell so good? _His stupid stink was the crux of this whole clusterfuck!

If anything I felt even more keyed up after my shower, so I dressed for bed and decided to go back to cleaning to work off some nervous energy while I waited for Maggie. I chose to take my unsettled aggression out on the linoleum in the kitchen again. I'd already scrubbed the floor but it'd been so dirty another once over was probably called for. I attacked the ugly yellow-orange pattern mercilessly on my hands and knees. I never used a mop, being a firm believer that it was impossible to properly clean a floor unless you got right up in its business.

I hated that hideous linoleum on our kitchen floor. It always looked dirty for some reason, no matter how often it was scrubbed. Why couldn't we just lay down new linoleum already? Better yet, save up for some fucking tiles. I was pretty sure this pattern was from the 70's. _Fucking dirty old ugly linoleum!_ As I scoured it like it was the bane of my existence I recalled my favorite line from _Mommie Dearest_ and began to practice it out loud to myself in my best Faye Dunaway Joan Crawford.

"I'm not mad at you, Helga, I'm mad at the dirt!" I giggled at my own skill at imitation. "I'm not mad at you, Helga, I'm mad at the dirt!" I said aloud again into the echo of the empty kitchen, making my voice even more mannish and over the top cultured. _Oh, I really nailed Dunaway's inflection that time!_ I said it again and again until I was laughing so hard at my own humor I was choking on my own spit.

I giggled myself to exhaustion, until I thought I might get sick. The freezer burned spinach didn't feel like it was settling well.

_Oh, God, I was all alone. Why had I come back here? I'd never belonged here._ _I hated that ugly linoleum. _

A sharp rap at the door pulled me back from my descent into despair. _Maggie! _

I gleefully peeled my scrub gloves off and flung open the front door. My eyes widened in shock as rather than settle on Maggie's visage, they met with Jared's warm, bittersweet chocolate smiling eyes. His large frame encompassed the entire doorway. His trademark broad smile faded abruptly though as his eyes left my face to trail down my scantily clad figure. I looked down to where his eyes had roamed and noted my nipples had hardened visibly against the cool outdoor air beneath my braless, tight-fitted yellow tank top. My stomach was exposed below the navel and my sleeping shorts were well…_really short_. I'd always hated my legs because they seemed like shapeless stilts to me; not much in the way of sexy curves. But Alison and I had done a lot of running on the soft sand at the beach over the summer, which had served to give them at least some muscle tone and definition. They were still stupidly skinny though. It had taken all of Alison and Aunt Susie's coaxing to convince me I could wear skinny jeans without looking completely ridiculous. I looked up to find Jared's eyes now trained on my exposed upper thighs. He was breathing a tad heavily through his slightly parted full lips. His eyes had darkened to black. _He didn't seem to mind my skinny legs._

"Hey…" I breathed out in a barely audible whisper. Jared's lust-filled eyes raised back to mine in acknowledgement as he started moving forward across the threshold. I backed up out of the way as his heaving chest came determinedly closer and closer to my line of vision, blocking out the last rays of evening sunlight behind him.

"Uh…come… in?" I offered after the fact as his chest pressed forward until it practically touched the tip of my nose. I brought my now trembling hands out in front of me and pressed my palms to his hard abs. I felt the muscles ripple and flex beneath my fingers as in my periphery I saw Jared's leg kick backwards and I heard the door slam shut. I swallowed hard. I felt a twinge of excitement ignite between my quivering limbs. "Um…uh…"

Warm, gentle fingers ghosted up and down my spine and I shivered in anticipation. "Kim" his deep voice, thick with emotion, echoed off the walls of the darkened narrow entryway. _Oh. My. God. _My stomach did a triple lutz. _My name sounded absolutely perfect coming from his lips!_

"_Kim_" he repeated, closer to a whisper now, just at the side of my temple. My stomach churned violently. _Oh, wow, oh, God, oh, wow!_ I shut my eyes as huge, hot hands came up to cup my jaw ever so delicately. _This was it! This was the moment I'd been existing the last 12 years for. Jared Cameron was about to kiss me!_

"Kim" he breathed again, this time his voice was just above my face as I felt his hot, minty breath against my nose. _Kiss me Kiss me Kiss me Kiss me!_ I chant-prayed inside my head.

"Kim." It was spoken in wonderment once more. Sometime after the third "Kim" it'd started to lose its initial charm though. Now it was becoming kind of irritating. _Was he gonna kiss me already or what?_ _Was that all he was going to say to me?_

I opened my eyes and looked up to find him staring at me as if in a trance..._like I was the center of his fucking universe or some nonsense?_ _Hadn't he only realized I existed this morning?_

"Oh, _Kim_." He'd decided to change it up a bit.

_What the hell?_ I felt like I'd been teletransported into a cheesy Telemundo soap opera. _This scene was just all wrong!_ In all of the many first kiss with Jared scenarios I'd imagined over the years, none of them had played out like this. _This was all kinds of wrong!_

He was acting like he was on acid or something. _It could completely ruin everything if our first kiss was all wrong!_

I panicked. My heart sped up too quickly. My face suddenly felt too hot in his hands and my throat felt like it was closing up. Then my stomach lurched violently and I threw up my freezer burned spinach… all over Jared.

"_Kim?"_

**A/N – It doesn't get any more intimate than throwing up on someone. Thank you thank you for reading! :) Review if you like. Lemon and a half next chapter. **


	5. Chapter 5  Sorry

**A/N – Thank you for reading! I'm blown away by all of your funny and thoughtful reviews of the previous chapters. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it and how much it motivates me as a writer! :)**

**As previously warned, this chapter contains some lemon. It will also touch on the idea of polyamory a bit as Kim becomes more and more...confused. Hope this doesn't offend anyone's sensibilities. **

**Pimping: I've recently begun reading ****WerCub****'s Paul stories ****Every Rose Has It's Thorn**** and ****Portrait of an Abstract****. I'm awed by her talent as a writer as well as the mature nature and content she's choosing to explore in her stories, and the complex, interesting characters she's developing with humor and depth. Given the fact that she's such a young writer, too, her talent is that much more astounding.**

**Disclaimer: Please don't ever mistake me for Stephanie Meyer, unless you want to give me one of her royalty checks.**

I heard the door knob jiggle, followed by a loud knock. "_Kim?_ Kim, open the door!" Jared demanded.

I sat with my back to the tub, knees drawn to my chest, face in my hands. I wanted to disappear.

"Kim, _please_?" he beseeched, "Please let me in?" he sounded desperate on the other side.

I couldn't face him. My throat felt raw and swollen as I swallowed, my mind trying to come up with words. The initial sight of my regurgitated spinach dinner on Jared's chest and torso had sent me running into the bathroom faster than I'd ever moved before. Locking myself in, I'd retched and dry heaved several more times into the toilet until there was nothing left in me.

"You _have_ to let me in, Kim" he insisted. When I didn't respond, I thought I heard him swear under his breath, then _growl_.

I considered my limited possibilities as silent tears began to roll down my face.

"Kim, I _really_ need to see that you're okay!" He sounded frustrated to the point of anger. I still couldn't speak.

"I'm coming in there, Kim" he announced in an authoritative tone I'd never heard from him before.

I jumped as a moment later the door was yanked right off its hinges.

Any horror I felt over Jared breaking my bathroom door down to see me crying huddled next to a toilet at my very worst moment in life was quickly overshadowed by my shock at his appearance…_or state of_ _undress_, rather, as he stood in the bathroom doorway naked save for a pair of fitted grey boxer briefs.

I blinked once, twice. _Curse my perfect vision he was an absolute god!_ My bleary eyes swept unabashedly over his exposed golden brown skin, cataloging every inch of his male glory. From his broad shoulders and thick corded arms to his well-formed pectoral muscles, washboard eight pack abdominals, and thick, sculpted long legs, he was nothing short of perfection as he padded over to kneel next to me by the toilet. _Without question I was going to have to poke one of my eyes out._

"Kim, I'm so sorry" he cooed softly, running his warm hands up and down my upper arms. "I didn't mean to scare you or freak you out like that. I'm sorry if I came on too strong."

Big hands came up to cup my face again, long graceful fingers and thumbs smoothing my hair out of my eyes and wiping the wetness from my cheeks. I sniffled and an involuntary shudder ran through me as his warm hands proceeded to rub briskly up and down my legs and arms, warming my shivering frame.

"How's the stomach feeling?" He asked gently, tucking my hair behind my ear. "You think you might be sick again?" His knuckles brushed lightly back and forth along the side of my face and jaw. "Or do you think you're done?" I stared blankly into his warm brown eyes. "Hmm?"

I bit my quivering lower lip as tears welled up in my eyes yet again.

His brows knit together and he shook his head slowly. "Oh, Kim sweetie… _please_" he pressed warm lips to my temple "_please_, honey" he brushed kisses across my damp eyelids "please don't cry anymore." His arms wrapped around me, drawing me away from the cold tub and lifting me in my little balled up position with my knees still tucked to my chest, into the space against him between his bent legs. His warm hands rubbed soothingly again and again over my back, arms and legs, as he shushed me and pressed kisses to the top of my head. His skin felt velvet smooth as I absently rubbed my cheek against his chest.

It seemed like forever that we were like that…as if time had completely stopped. My body had warmed wrapped up against his, my breathing had evened out and my stomach was calm. I was dumbfounded. My brain ran in circles trying to make out his actions and the emotion I was feeling. It was foreign…bizarre. I loved it and hated it all at once, but most of all it made me decidedly uncomfortable… and I didn't want to think about it anymore.

"I'm sorry…" I mumbled in a barely audible whisper against his chest. His hand paused at my knee.

"I'm sorry I puked on you" I finished quietly. He laughed lightly, hugging me tighter against him and kissing the top of my head.

"It's okay. I'm pretty sure I deserved it." He rested his chin at my crown. "I'm sorry for barging into your home unannounced and leering at you like a piece of meat." I blushed and a soft giggle bubbled up in my throat.

"It's not your fault" I reasoned, "that I ate some bad spinach."

"Why would you eat bad spinach?" he teased, raking a hand gently through the hair at my scalp.

I rolled my eyes and smiled. "It's not like I _knew_ it was bad when I ate it." His fingers felt so good.

"Sides, wasn't anything else to eat…" I yawned, careful to keep my lips sealed as it dawned on me now that I was sure to have full-blown disgusting puke breath, "Haven't had a chance to grocery shop since I got back." His hand slowed momentarily.

"What're you saying? There's no food in the house?" he asked incredulously. For a teenage boy his size it was probably his worst nightmare.

"Uh-uh" I shook my head, closing my eyes and enjoying his delightful caress.

"Where's your mom, Kim? Doesn't she cook? Why doesn't she stock the fridge?" he asked gently.

I'd stopped breathing after the first question. My eyes opened. _He didn't know about my mom?_ I thought everyone on the reservation knew about my mom. _Oh, right... he didn't even know about me until this morning. _

"Um… actually…my mom's gone, Jared. She died when I was ten" I explained calmly, not a trace of emotion in my voice. I felt Jared stiffen against me. His fingers stopped. I shrugged, "It's just me and my dad and he's not really the homemaker type, you know?" He didn't say anything so I took a breath and continued. "He's a mechanic in town. He works a ton, plays cards, fishes, that sort of thing…doesn't really like to hang around the house a lot." He still hadn't said anything, nor had he resumed my scalp massage.

I swallowed nervously. "Um…it ah…feels really nice…the way you…rub my head like that" I prodded shyly.

His fingers instantly resumed their course with fervor. I sighed and let myself relax. About a minute had passed since I'd shut my eyes again.

"I'm sorry, Kim" his gruff voice broke the silence. He sounded pained. "I'm sorry you lost your mom. " He spoke slowly and carefully. "I'm sorry I didn't know about it." He kissed the side of my head. "And I'm sorry…_so, so sorry_ I never paid attention to you before today."

I clenched my teeth and blinked rapidly, trying to stave off the fresh flood of tears burning my eyes and threatening to fall.

He kissed my crown. "I'm so sorry, Kim." The tear-gates burst open. "I'm sorry." He said it again and again, kissing my head in a different spot each time.

And the weirdest thing happened. I didn't laugh-cry; I didn't even smile-cry, I just cry-cried…like I imagined a normal person would do. The tears fell quietly and steadily and it actually felt good. This had to have been the most I'd ever cried in one day before in my life. My eyes would probably be puffy and sore tomorrow but I couldn't say I regretted it. It felt good to be held and to just…release. To feel safe; to feel that someone cared what I was feeling and wanted to comfort me.

"Any chance you have some tea or something in the house?" Jared asked softly a while later after the last of the tears had long since stopped.

I shrugged. "Mm…maybe?"

"Why don't I search around and boil some water?" He rubbed my shoulders once more and rose reluctantly.

"Okay. I'll just…freshen up." I looked up at him shyly.

He smiled down at me and quietly walked to the doorway. "Oh…uh…sorry about the door" he turned and winced sheepishly back at me from the hallway, "I'll um…fix it tomorrow?"

"Sure…okay" I smiled and nodded. "Um…your clothes?" I asked.

"Threw 'em in the wash…that okay?"

I nodded. "Course…ah…sorry about that" I apologized again, blushing with renewed embarrassment. He waved it off and with a smile and a wink he disappeared to search the kitchen.

After splashing my face with water, I brushed my teeth multiple times and then rinsed obsessively with mouthwash. I didn't dare look at myself in the mirror- too afraid of what I'd see. I pulled a pair of long, baggy sleep pajamas over my short shorts. I'd begun to feel too self-conscious having my bare, bony legs on display.

Jared had located some peppermint tea and we sat a distance apart on the couch, holding our respective steaming mugs. I'd scooted myself over to the far side of the sofa nearest the wall and focused on my tea cup, needing some space between us now as Jared sat studying my surely wrecked, puffy face intently.

"I really like you, Kim" his smooth, deep voice broke the silence. In my periphery I saw him edge closer, his arm slung over the back of the couch. "I'd really like it if you'd give me the chance to get to know you" his hand reached out and he began to twirl the ends of my long hair between his fingers "make things up to you". My heart beat a little faster. "Would you let me do that, Kim?" I felt a little tingle amid my legs.

I nodded faintly, bringing my hot mug to my lips as I stole a glance up at his beautiful face. His demeanor seemed to have suddenly changed though as his eyes appeared fixated on the mug in my hands. His eyes had darkened to black, his jaw muscles clenched and his nostrils flared with apparent fury. _What in the world?_

"Kim, what the hell happened to your wrists?" He bit the words out.

My eyes widened in horror. "It's not what you think!" I insisted defensively, jumping to my feet and almost scalding myself with hot tea in the process.

"What am I thinking, Kim?" He'd risen as well and was prying my tea from my hands now.

"It was an accident!" I asserted again. _ I couldn't betray Embry and tell him!_

He placed our mugs on the coffee table and began turning my wrists over in his hands, inspecting them. He fingered the bruises tentatively, swallowing hard as he took in the damage.

"_Who?"_ He was so livid it caught me off guard. "Whose hand prints are these?" He spat out in disgust. _Who was this aggressively protective Jared? The Jared who pulled doors off their hinges to make sure I was okay?_

"I can't tell you. But I _promise_ it was just an accident!" I implored.

"_Who_, Kim?" I backed up, his hands and arms had started shaking.

"It was an accident." I repeated a little breathlessly.

He moved forward until he'd effectively backed me up against the wall. "_Who?_" He looked fairly menacing towering above me.

I shook my head. "Jared, you're…uh…kinda freaking me out."

He took several deep breaths then, seemingly trying to compose himself. His trembling hands came up to cup my face, making my breath hitch as I jumped a little in response.

"I'm sorry, Kim. I…I just need you to trust me, please." His eyes were pleading as his thumbs brushed along my cheeks. "You know I'd never hurt you, right? You have to trust me. _Please?" _He bent down briefly to kiss my forehead, then the tip of my nose. I took small shallow breaths. "Please tell me what happened, honey?"

I was cornered. "Promise you won't get mad?" I said in a small voice, my face inches from his naked chest.

"I… can't promise that." He inhaled deeply. "But I promise I'm not mad at you. And I'm sorry… I don't mean to scare you. I just…have a hard time seeing you hurt… or upset."

I swallowed and chewed my lower lip between my teeth, trying to make sense of his words as his fingers began lightly caressing my face again. I closed my eyes.

"I was running in the hallway at school and turned the corner too fast without looking and ran into someone." I rambled at breakneck Maggie speed. "And I started to fall backwards but the person I ran into caught me by the wrists to stop me from falling." I paused briefly to take a breath. "And they accidentally grabbed my wrists a little too hard in their effort to help me" I finished. "So that's it…just a simple accident."

I peeked up at him. His eyes had softened somewhat and he released a long breath.

"Okay…" he began calmly, "I understand it was an accident." He breathed deeply in and out again as his fingers traced the outline of my jaw. I released my own breath.

"So… who was this hallway hero" he asked with not so subtle sarcasm "who didn't know how to help a girl without almost breaking her wrists…hmm?" My heartbeat sped up again.

"It was an accident" I whispered. "He was only trying to help…"

"I _know_, honey." He reassured, kneeling in front of me and taking my hands gently in his. "I know" he placated, pressing delicate kisses to the bruises on my wrists. "Just tell me who, sweetie." From his kneeling position he was just a tad shorter than I stood, so he was looking up at me slightly. The eyes that beheld mine were gentle, yet I noticed the irises remained black.

"You won't do anything?" I questioned, reclaiming one of my hands from his and pressing the palm tentatively against his warm jaw. "Promise you won't get mad at him or say anything to him if I tell you?"

He closed his eyes. He licked his lips, inhaling and exhaling audibly. "Yes" he finally whispered. He opened his eyes and looked into mine expectantly.

I sighed. "It was Embry." I watched as Jared's jaw tightened again.

"Please, please don't be mad at him, Jared" I entreated anxiously, "he saved me from falling! He's just like…superhuman strong or something…it was weird..." I continued to ramble nervously "it was like he couldn't help it…like he didn't even realize how tightly he was squeezing my wrists…like he didn't even know he was so strong…"

I continued to prattle on in defense of Embry, but soon lost focus of the words inanely falling from my lips as I watched in sick fascination as Jared's black irises turned a bright yellow-gold right in front of me. My own eyes widened and my heart skipped a beat. I recalled how I thought I'd seen Paul's eyes take on a yellow tint for a split second in the hallway this morning at school. I'd chalked it up to my imagination. But there was no denying the transformation I'd just witnessed in Jared's. _What the hell was going on? _

"Oh, my…" I swallowed hard "your eyes…" I whispered "oh, God…yellow…oh, my…" I stammered nonsensically, clutching my hands to my chest and pressing myself as hard as possible back into the unforgiving wall behind me.

He blinked and his eyes shifted back to black instantly, making me question whether I had imagined it again. _No, it had happened! I had seen it. _ "I…I thought…I swear… I saw…"

He quickly rose to his feet. "You're upset" he insisted. "I didn't mean to scare you again." He took my face in his hands and whispered "I'm sorry" as his warm, full lips suddenly came down to ghost against mine. My stomach fluttered at the gentleness of his touch and a small fire ignited in my womb. _Jared was kissing me! Jared was kissing me!_ I was lost to all else as his soft kiss swiftly consumed me.

It started out slow and tender, almost reverent, as he brushed his lips back and forth against mine. My hands braced against his chest as my lips moved subtly against his in response. I felt the tip of his hot tongue dance across my bottom lip, seeking entrance. I parted my lips and his tongue delved hungrily inside. His hands came up to cradle and manipulate the angle of my face as his mouth devoured mine. I mewled softly into him as his tongue drove sweetly again and again between my lips. He withdrew it momentarily to whisper another "I'm sorry" before nibbling and sucking onto my lower lip. I took the opportunity to gasp much needed air into my lungs.

I was lightheaded and dizzy with desire as his hands grasped the backs of my upper thighs and hoisted me up the wall to where I was closer to his height. My arms wound their way around his neck. My legs seemed to spread of their own accord and wrap tightly around his waist. I arched myself into him, desperate to feel him pressed into the ever increasing throbbing ache between my legs. He groaned into my mouth and his fingers gripped almost painfully into my ass as he pressed his hard erection directly into my dampening center. _Oh, fuck!_

I cried out. He swore and rammed himself hard against me, slamming my back into the wall. I was panting and moaning, as he began to slide me slowly up and down the wall against the length of his erection. He still only wore his cotton boxer briefs and I only had on two thin cotton layers myself, allowing me to clearly feel every hard, thick inch of him as he rubbed against me. I was completely lost in a haze of lust as he grunted above me, "Tell me to stop" he slammed into me again, making me gasp "and I'll stop" he panted. He began to alternate between ramming into me and rubbing me up and down along his impossibly hard length.

"Ungh!" I groaned and panted, clawing at his shoulders for purchase as he slid me harder and faster up and down against himself, hitting me in exactly the right spot. The spot which had been aching ever since Paul had deliberately avoided it with his own erection when he'd had me pressed up against the wall in the closet that same afternoon.

My face flushed crimson with shamed horror as it occurred to me that this was what I'd wanted…_this was exactly what I'd wanted so desperately to feel from Paul! _

_Oh, my God!_ _Why was I thinking about Paul right now?_ _Why was I lamenting the absence of his erection grinding against me earlier today when I had Jared's pressed firmly between my legs now? Holy shit, I was all kinds of sick in the head! _

"Just tell me to stop, Kim" Jared's labored voice brought me back to the present as he slammed his weight into me again "and I'll stop." _Oh, fuck! Oh, shit…oh, fuck! I was getting closer. What did I want? Did I want him to stop? _

Unbidden I recalled the sound of Paul's voice coaching me to orgasm and the feel of his fingers moving inside of me as Jared rubbed against me now. _This couldn't be right what was happening? I was some kind of sick deviant for sure! _I tried to block Paul's voice and memories out, but it wouldn't stop. It kept playing again and again, making me hotter and wetter, desperate beyond desperate for release. _Oh, God…oh, fuck…so close…_

"_**Sss-stop**__!"_ I suddenly blurted out to my own surprise… and horror. "Please…_stop_…_please_..." I managed again through tattered breaths.

_And he did_…much to my supreme agony and frustration, as I felt my overly sensitized and stimulated clitoris scream in protest. I closed my eyes and whimpered as Jared ceased moving and withdrew his weight from between my legs. I wanted to cry. Jared's forehead fell heavily against the wall above me as his hands released their death grip on my buttocks, allowing me to unwind my shaky legs from his waist and slide down until my feet touched the floor. My hands slipped from his shoulders which were now damn with perspiration. We were both panting heavily.

"I'm sorry" I breathed despondently, "I'm so sorry".

"S'okay" he panted "I promise…s'okay. I just need… ah…a minute…" he explained to the wall.

I nodded absently, mumbling another "sorry".

I didn't want to look, but my cursed new perfect vision had a mind of its own and my eyes drifted past the deep muscled V of his lower obliques to the waistband of his briefs, where the thick, darkened head of his erect cock had managed to push past the elastic band and into view where it lay against his flat stomach. _Wow… Wow!_ It was just the tip, but it looked, well…_huge! Wow!_ Made sense…it had _felt huge_ as it pressed against me. _Oh, God, I hadn't really wanted him to stop! _The painful loss between my legs felt fairly desperate now.

_When had my boring life gotten so completely crazy and ridiculously confusing? And totally, unbelievably sexually frustrating?_

I had meant to look away…_I really had_… but I was captivated by the first in the flesh male anatomy lesson I'd ever received. I noticed there was a small slit opening at the tip of the head where just a small amount of fluid had leaked out. I unconsciously licked my lips as I briefly wondered at the taste of him. My train of dirty thought was interrupted though by a deep, low _growl_.

"Awe, fuck me, Kim!" My eyes snapped up to see Jared's looking down at me in anguish…_he had seen me staring! _"Fuck, honey" he groaned, "you're not making this easy".

I swallowed hard, my face flushing even hotter with embarrassment. "Oops...I'm sorry?" I muttered apologetically, my eyes darting all over before finally finding a blank spot on the far wall to fixate on.

That night I slept fitfully. It had taken me hours to unwind after Jared's confusing and emotionally charged visit. His departure had been a bit awkward, to say the least. He'd apologized profusely again and again, taking full responsibility for pushing me "too far too fast". I was completely exhausted but still uncomfortably sexually charged as I tossed and turned in my bed, trying to fall asleep. Certainly more than once I considered masturbation as a means to end my frustrated misery. But each time I attempted, it ended up getting awkward and I would freak out, getting too wrapped up inside my head, and stop. I couldn't control the train of my sexual thoughts from drifting back and forth between Paul and Jared. I concluded I was the biggest pervert that ever lived. I wondered if this was what it was like for a teenage boy all the time… _to be completely oversexed and frustrated?_

When sleep finally claimed me, my wayward mind was still volleying back and forth between both He-Men. I dreamt I was lying on my side in bed, kissing Jared, who lay alongside me. His fingers were working their magic against my scalp as his other hand massaged my bare breasts beneath my tank top. As I was moaning into Jared's mouth I felt Paul's hard body scoot in to spoon me from behind. I was about to protest, but he began sucking on the back of my neck, his knee coming between my legs from behind to spread them apart. My dream mind was confused, wondering why Jared hadn't seemed to notice…or mind Paul's presence. Or why Paul didn't seem to notice or mind Jared's. Then Paul's hand began rubbing deliciously between my legs, his fingers slipping beneath my undies to sink blissfully inside of me. Then he started talking in that sexy voice of his, commenting on how wet I was and promising me how hard he was going to make me come. I panicked and broke away from Jared's lips, but he just smiled, his eyes shining bright yellow as he mumbled on about something or other he was sorry for. He kept murmuring his "sorry"s as his head lowered to suck on my nipples and his fingers dipped inside the front of my underwear to stroke my bundle of nerves in time with the thrusts of Paul's fingers pistoning in and out of my center from behind. I was moaning and wailing as Paul continued coaching me closer to the brink and Jared kept muttering "sorry" for this and "sorry" for that. _But it was all so wrong! What in the world was happening?_ I was a sinner…_I was a slut! _But dear Lord I wanted a release so bad it _hurt_. Paul went from coaxing and crooning to demanding I come for him. Just as he ordered me to come, just as the inner spasms were beginning to overtake me as he bit into the back of my neck and sank his fingers knuckle-deep inside of me… _my fucking alarm clock blared!_

_It was one of the rare occasions I've actually awoken screaming my head off...in abject sexual frustration._

Needless to say I was still shaky and on edge from sleep-deprivation and the absurdly demented sexual disorder I'd diagnosed myself with, as I stood in the hallway before first period, fingers shaking as I twirled my combination lock. As I opened the door to my locker, large, dark-skinned hands slapped onto the metal lockers on either side of mine just above my head. A shiver ran down my spine and I felt hot breath at the back of my head, through my thick hair. I recognized those hands. I stopped breathing. "You didn't take care of things. Did you?" His accusation was a gravelly whisper at my crown.

My clitoris began pulsing and chanting its approval. I shut my eyes. _We were in a crowded hallway. Nothing could possibly happen. We were in a crowded hallway. He couldn't possibly do anything in a crowded hallway, I reassured myself over and over again._

"You're gonna have to breathe again at some point, Kim" Paul laughed mockingly.

I _was_ beginning to feel lightheaded, but I still wouldn't inhale. His huge right hand slid down from the locker and moved to splay across my lower abdomen. Butterflies winged and scattered in my belly. My vision was narrowing and I was starting to see spots. "_Breathe_" he commanded tersely.

I sucked in a large lungful of air. I'd intended to breathe in only through my mouth but somehow I'd managed to inhale into my nose at the same time. I was immediately entranced. To my dismay..._and delight_... his scent seemed to be even stronger than it was yesterday. It was overpowering; utterly deliciously irresistible. The fluttering amid my legs intensified as the tips of his hot fingers traced patterns along the hem of my shirt, slowly lifting it ever so slightly and sneaking beneath to caress my bare skin. I moaned.

"Again, honey" he instructed, this time his voice a little closer to my right ear. I breathed in deeply again and I felt my inner muscles pulse and twinge harder in anticipation. I couldn't help myself as I arched back into him, needing to feel his body against mine. "That's it, baby, keep breathing. Keep breathing me in" he chuckled sweetly as he inched himself even closer to me, pressing against me and gently nudging me forward a little in the process. I was practically buried inside my locker now. My head fell forward limply as the warm fingers of his left hand began working the stress and tension out of my neck and shoulders. The open locker door blocked any passerby's view of me to the right and Paul's enormous towering frame likely blocked a decent view of me from the rear and left as well. That said we were hardly in private and Paul's hand on my stomach was stealthily caressing lower as his fingers dipped shallowly in and out of the waistband of my jeans. I noticed he was sniffing audibly at my neck and shoulders.

"Kimmie… Kimmie…" he tsked tauntingly in my ear. "Did I not make myself clear there would be consequences if you didn't look after yourself properly?" I was making some kind of purring noise now. I could hear it reverberating in the hollow of my metal locker. I was thankful for the boisterous morning noise and banter in the hallway.

His fingers kneading my shoulder muscles skimmed delectably up the back of my neck to sink into the hair at the base of my head. His fingers flexed and released, scratching back and forth across my scalp, causing goose bumps to blanket my skin. "Now what do you think we should do to rectify this transgression?" He fisted my hair and tugged firmly, drawing my head back against his chest. I was completely pliant as he tilted my head sideways to the right and back until I was staring straight into his black eyes above me. "Hmm?"

His pink, pouty mouth looked edible. I licked my lips. My eyes were half lidded as I shook my head minutely back and forth within his grasp.

"_Really?_" he breathed "No ideas, huh?"

**A/N – I know, I'm so evil! Why do I love torturing poor Jared so much? He **_**does**_** seem like he's sincerely trying to make amends. At least he apologized to the point of annoyance for being a boob. Oh, well, what's that they say about a woman scorned…or **_**ignored**_**?**

**Thank you thank you for reading and reviewing! Yes, **_**of course**_** there will be a Paul lemon next chapter. I need relief from Kim's neuroses and masochistic, self-inflicted sexual frustration now as well. **

**Have a great week! :) I am traveling for work so next update might be delayed until next weekend. Will do utmost to skip out on boring business dinners with bitter old curmudgeons and creepy shriveled men in suits in favor of editing lemon scenes and posting on fanfiction. ;)**


	6. Chapter 6  Not Sorry

**A/N – A big THANK YOU to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter! I apologize for not having time to respond to the last round of reviews yet. Long week work-wise with limited internet access. **

**More apologies for the cliffhanger, but I **_**did**_** say there'd be a lemon and a **_**half. **_** ;) This chapter is basically one big lemon with a dash of critical dialogue mixed in. Sorry for the delay. Now back to Paul in Kim's pants…**

**Disclaimer – If it was Stephanie Meyer writing this, no characters would experience orgasm this chapter and it would probably include superfluous use of the word "chagrin".**

I stared unseeingly up into the bottomless ebony orbs holding me captive. _Had he asked me a question?_

Paul's lips formed into a pout as his dark brows furrowed in mock disappointment. "We need to work on your imagination, baby" he assessed in a husky whisper as covert fingers dove deeper down the front of my jeans, beneath my undies, the tip of his longest finger tapping lightly just above my screaming apex. Without thought or hesitation I raised onto my tiptoes and tilted my pelvis forward, humming in approval as his finger slipped blissfully lower into place exactly where I wanted it.

A wickedly cocky grin split his features just as the pad of his finger began to slide back and forth over my throbbing center. I bit my lip as my belly quivered and coiled in excitement. I noted with interest he had a dimple which formed on his right cheek when he smiled broadly enough. I liked it.

"So…" he drawled "We can get you off right now, right here in the hallway…or I can take you somewhere … where you can make noise for me." His brows lifted in question. "What do you say, Kimmie?"

I smiled dazedly up at him, murmuring nonsensically, "Mm…dimple…love smile… dimple…"

His eyes narrowed in confusion for a moment, before an even wider and delightfully boyish grin lit his whole face in a way I'd never seen before. _There was my dimple!_ I cheesed back at him like an idiot.

"You like to see me smile, baby?" he asked softly, rolling my wet clitoris between his fingers, making me struggle to stifle another loud moan. I nodded. He grinned even harder. Paul had always been more of a _smirker_ than a _smiler _from what I'd known of him. His smirk could be sexy as hell, but his smile…his _smile_ was truly devastating as he gazed down at me almost…_adoringly._

"C'mon" he kissed my forehead "let's go take care of my girl."

All too quickly he removed his fingers from my jeans and released my hair, grabbed my book bag which I'd thoughtlessly dropped to the floor shortly after smelling him, and shut my locker for me. Interlocking his fingers with mine in a gesture at once intimate and proprietary, he led me down the hallway.

If I'd been self-conscious walking next to Jared yesterday, it was nothing compared to how completely on display I felt now walking hand in hand with Paul. The haze of lust evaporated slightly as apprehension gripped me.

I tried to disentangle my hand from Paul's but he held firm. _What was he doing? _Paul pulled me in closer to his side so that our bodies brushed up against each other as we walked. _We were making a spectacle of ourselves. _I tried to ignore the gasps and shocked expressions greeting us each step of the way, but they were hard to miss.

_It was as if he __**wanted**__ everyone to notice we were together. But we weren't together…were we? _

My cheeks burned with embarrassment at the attention and I tried to walk slightly behind him a pace to hide behind his larger frame. _How in hell did I get myself into this situation? What in the world was I thinking?_ I wasn't. It was as if Paul held an invisible leash connected to my nether regions and wherever he wanted to lead, I couldn't help but follow. _Christ I'd just let him stick his hand down my pants in the school hallway!_

Embry came into view as he strode in our direction, easily a head if not more taller than the rest of the student body. His eyes briefly took me in before lifting to meet Paul's. Unlike the rest of our schoolmates, he didn't seem the least bit surprised or concerned to see Paul and me walking hand in hand. Some sort of understanding seemed to pass between Embry and Paul as they exchanged looks above my head. Paul squeezed my hand and guided me over to the opposite wall where Embry had just come to a stop. Paul leaned in to Embry's shoulder. I saw Embry's lips move in response as I peeked around Paul's side to try to figure out what was going on but I couldn't make out a word of what was spoken.

I noticed a slight purplish shadow marring the left side of Embry's face, covering his cheek and eye. It looked like an old bruise which was almost completely healed. Weird I hadn't noticed it yesterday. It must have been a painful injury when it happened based on the amount of delicate surface area the now faint bruising covered. _Had Embry gotten in a fight?_ I realized how obviously I was staring when Embry turned to me with a smile and winked. I caught myself and looked away. _Nice! More awkwardness and confusion. _

I looked up casually a moment later to see Embry pass Paul some small object as they clasped hands. Embry smiled at me again and leaned down to my ear, whispering so low I could barely hear him, "Don't let him smell your fear, Kim. His head's big enough already." Paul punched Embry hard in the shoulder as he drew back up to his full height. Embry chuckled and gave me a goodbye wink before continuing on down the hall.

_What the hell? _

Paul squeezed my hand gently again and guided me back into the throng of moving student bodies. As I was trying to wrap my brain around the encounter with Embry, I glanced forward and was met with the horrified expressions of Darla, Gabby and their glamour bitch crew as we passed right by them. Their expressions might actually have been funny had I not been so flustered already.

Darla looked flabbergasted, her jaw practically scraping the floor. Gabby looked murderous. I looked down, wishing I could just disappear.

"S'up, ladies" Paul greeted cordially as we strode past them, raising our joined hands in salute. _Oh, dear God! Was he trying to ruin my life? I would have to transfer to a new school. _

I tried desperately to pull my hand away again but he refused to relinquish his grip. He drew me even closer, leaned down and whispered, "Be good or I'll tongue you in the middle of the hallway." His words had multiple effects on me. I decided not to struggle anymore.

We passed Quil and Jacob at their lockers next. They too turned to study us with interest. I just shrugged as Jacob's brows furrowed at me in question. _I give up._

Paul led me outside. _Were we leaving the school grounds? _

"Uh…where we going?"

He didn't answer, taking me out through the side door to an outdoor courtyard, then halfway around the rear of the building to re-enter from a lower stairwell, which lead into the girls' and boys' locker rooms.

As he strode purposefully into the boys' locker room, towing me behind him, I struggled again, exclaiming in disbelief, "You're crazy! I can't go in there!"

"Relax. No one's in here first period" was his nonchalant reply as he grabbed me by the elbow and yanked me firmly inside the dimly lit, empty locker room. We walked past rows of lockers and benches, past the showers, to the rear where there were two closed doors to rooms marked by placards as coaches' offices.

Paul produced a key and opened one of the offices, pulling me swiftly inside and then releasing me. I stepped forward a few paces into the darkened room as Paul played with the light switches, trying out the various settings of bright fluorescent. The room contained a large desk along the left wall, along with several shelves filled with various binders, a small television and shelf of hand-labeled DVD's. Along the back wall where I was now facing sat a fairly large, old leather couch. Several older wooden chairs lined the right wall. I turned back around as I heard the door shut and a bolt click into place.

Paul walked to the desk and switched on a small table lamp, then returned to the switches by the door to turn the brighter, overhead lights off, leaving the room illuminated by only the soft glow of the desk lamp. He lifted his brow to me. "Better?"'

"Here?" I squawked out.

"Yes." He leaned casually against the door, arms folded across his chest, blocking my only exit in the windowless room.

"Won't somebody—"

"No" he cut me off succinctly.

Now that I was all alone with Paul and his smell, I was suddenly beyond nervous. _What did he intend to do? How far would he take this?_ I stopped breathing as I recalled his threat about losing my virginity if I didn't look after myself.

"Relax, Kim." He pushed off the door and moved towards me as I sucked in air. "You're safe with me, baby." He began to slowly walk around me. "I'm not gonna do anything you're not comfortable with."

His smell was making my knees weak. "We're gonna miss first period." I stated the obvious, simply to have something to say. He continued to circle me.

"We are" he nodded, pausing for a moment before emphasizing "and I'm _not sorry_ for it." He came to a stop directly in front of me. He lifted one muscled arm behind his neck, grabbed the collar of his tee-shirt and whipped it forward, over and off his head, faster than I could blink. It whispered to the floor. I swallowed my drool. _Holy Taha Aki, he was beyond gorgeous._

His torso had evidently been cut from granite. Everywhere I looked he was lean and hard. I studied the clean lines and the hard angles that made up his perfection. I forced my gaze up to his face finally to find him watching me gawk at him. He crooked his finger, beckoning me forward.

"Jared's gonna wonder where I am." I wasn't sure why I'd said it.

Paul nodded again. "He is. _Not sorry_ for that either." He motioned again for me to come to him. I shuffled forward until I was so close I could feel the heat emanating off his chest.

"Gabby looked pretty mad seeing us together" I rambled on, desperate to keep talking now.

"Sure did" he agreed. He shook his head. "_Not sorry_" he quirked his brow, smirking in amusement.

_Wait… I was picking up on an oddly familiar theme here. He kept repeating he **wasn't sorry**, just as last night Jared had kept saying… No, they couldn't be related?_

"I'm taking your top off, honey" he stated dryly, like it was not up for discussion. "I need to see you." Before the meaning of his words could reach my scattered brain, his warm hands were brushing delicately against my belly and ribs as they carefully lifted my shirt over my head, leaving me standing before him in only a thin, pink cotton bra.

My arms instantly crossed reflexively over my chest to cover myself.

"Wanna know what else I'm _not_ sorry for?" His amused tone was clearly sardonic.

_No! He couldn't possibly know about…?_ I imagined the worst but it didn't seem plausible. _Why would Jared share our most intimate moments with Paul? _I was just being paranoid.

Paul gently pried my fingers from my shoulders, uncrossing my arms and pulling them away from my chest and down to my sides. "Let me see you, Kim."

I looked helplessly to the floor as I felt the weight of his examining eyes. My nipples hardened as his knuckles brushed lightly back and forth over the swell of my breasts. I closed my eyes.

"You're beautiful, know that?"

I shook my head. _I wasn't beautiful. Why would he say that? Was he being mean? He didn't need to say things like that. _

"You are, Kimmie." His lips ghosted over my temple as his warm palms proceeded to caress and explore my breasts and stomach. I held my breath, trying to still my spastically beating heart and my rapidly coiling belly. Suddenly I felt dangerously on the verge of tears. _What if he was just messing with me?_

Paul's nose traced the curve of my jaw as he whispered, "Don't you want to know what else I'm not sorry for, Kim?" _What if this was all a game? _

_Oh, God, were he and Jared in on this together?_ _Could it all be some twisted joke?_

"Hmm?" He kissed up and down my neck.

I blinked back tears and braced for the worst. _Did he really know something about last night? Would Jared really tell him? _I couldn't believe it of Jared. Not after everything we said and did last night.

_Was Paul about to be cruel and mock me for my embarrassingly slutty behavior and…oh God, for puking on Jared last night? _

He sucked at my pulse point as his fingers slid around my waist to dance up and down across my spine. I took a deep, calming breath in spite of myself, as I'd begun to feel lightheaded. My stomach was twisted into knots trying to fight the burgeoning desire building within me with each tender caress, with each breath I took of Paul.

_I couldn't bear it if this was all just a sick joke at my expense._

He rubbed the tip of his nose against mine as one of his hands splayed between my shoulder blades, one across my lower back, pulling me closer against him so that our chests touched and his bare stomach warmed mine.

"I'm not sorry for liking you ever since moving here when I was nine" he deadpanned without a hint of teasing.

_What? What did he just say?_

My eyes flew open to meet his darkened ones. They held no humor, no pretense.

"I'm not sorry I waited this long to do something about it" he continued in all seriousness. His arm wound tightly around my waist. His hand on my upper back moved to cup my cheek as a tear escaped my eye.

He wiped it with his thumb. "I'm not sorry my smell makes you so hot you lose your shit in a packed classroom" he cracked a smile and I couldn't help but follow suit as my face heated into a blush.

"Baby, I won't lie, things are probably gonna get a lot more complicated and confusing for you before they get better." He rested his forehead against mine, his long fingers caressing the back of my head. "But I'm not sorry any of this is happening" he breathed against my lips.

I didn't know how to respond. I could hardly keep up with what he was saying much less comprehend its meaning or how I felt about it. His lips pecked at the corner of my mouth. His hands skimmed down my body to the front waist of my jeans as he nibbled on my lower lip. He undid the button and zipper of my jeans as his tongue coaxed its way inside my mouth. My hands came up to grip and release his forearms, not quite knowing where to place them, as I pressed myself closer against him. I moaned as his lips released mine and his thumbs came up to rub my hardened peaks through the fabric of my bra.

"You know… you can touch me." He was breathing hard. He brought one of my hands to his chest and held it over his heart. I felt the steady beat of his life against my palm. "Go on, s'okay" he encouraged in a husky whisper. He began to guide my hand downward over the smooth skin covering his rock hard abdominal muscles. "Just like that… just feel me, baby." I watched in fascination as his muscles twitched and flexed, dancing alive beneath the feather light touch of my fingers.

Paul's other hand was slipping beneath my bra to massage my bare flesh, his thumb teasing my sorely aroused nipple. Soon both of my hands were eagerly roving Paul's torso, canvassing his impossibly chiseled eight pack stomach, traveling up and down his muscled arms, studying the blue veins that ran beneath his golden brown skin and tracing the black ink design tattooed on his right upper arm. I noted it was the same tribal design I'd seen on Jared's arm the night before but had been too shy to explore or ask about. S_hit, why did I have to think of Jared now as I was touching Paul?_

My heart clutched. I felt a rush of guilt._ What was I doing? Goddamn it I was one confused, crazy bitch! I was meant to be with Jared! I had always known it. _

_So why couldn't I resist Paul? _

"I'm not sorry you're so wet for me you'll let me do anything I want to right now." Paul broke and reaffirmed my train of thought all at once. Then he punctuated his point by slipping his thumbs inside the waistband of my jeans and pulling them swiftly down my legs. I grasped his shoulders to steady myself as he kneeled before me, removing my shoes and slipping my jeans over my ankles and off, one leg at a time. I was left standing in pink bikini underwear and my pink bra, the bra cups askew from Paul's earlier exploration, half exposing my breasts.

Paul's big hands ran up and down my bare legs, exploring every inch as he knelt in front of me. I ran my fingers through his silky, thick hair and he buried his face between my breasts. I shrieked and almost fell over when he took one of my nipples into his warm mouth, teasing it relentlessly with his tongue and teeth. I fisted his hair and his hands seized the backs of my thighs to steady me. But as they massaged beneath my bare ass cheeks and his long fingers sank shallowly in and out of my wet center between my legs from behind, I collapsed forward against him, whimpering and moaning, wordlessly begging for release.

His hands gripped harder beneath my butt, lifting me easily off my feet. His mouth latched onto my other nipple as he carried me to the large couch against the wall. I was muttering "oh, god" and "please" over and over again as he deposited me on the couch. My need for relief was so painful I practically sobbed when his hands left me to quickly unbuckle his belt and undo the button and zipper of his own cargo shorts. As his shorts fell to the floor and he stood before me, his enormous erection tenting his boxer briefs, I was beyond caring what happened next as long as it put me out of my misery.

I wiggled restlessly as he sank beside me onto the couch, grabbing me about the waist and beneath one leg, lifting me effortlessly into his lap so that I was straddling him with my back to his front. He adjusted his knees further apart between my limbs, effectively spreading my legs wider in the process as his knuckles trailed delicately back and forth along the insides of my thighs.

"I'm not sorry I get to finish what somebody else couldn't" he growled above my ear. The promise in his husky, brusque words resonated with my fluttering sex, but my mind refused to register the full meaning of his statement.

I arched back into him, rubbing my ass against his hard erection. "Ah, God… please…_please_…." I groaned in desperation.

He bit my ear. "Did you wanna come, baby?" he teased.

"_Ungh_…uh-huh…yeah" I panted. I'd lost all ability to play coy.

"Mmm…" He seemed to be considering it as his knuckles barely grazed over the center of my wet cotton panties. I scratched and clutched at his forearms, silently imploring his hands to do more.

"_Please?... _Please, Paul?" I didn't care that I was begging. I needed it.

"Go ahead, sweetheart." He kissed the side of my head above my ear. "Go ahead and touch yourself. I want you to show me how you can make yourself come." He spoke calmly. _Too annoyingly calmly for my present state of distress!_

_I wanted to scream. _ A noisy cry of frustration tore from my throat. _I hated him. I couldn't possibly do what he was asking and I was literally in pain from want!_

"Want me to help you, baby?" he chuckled devilishly in my ear. I nodded aggressively, causing him to laugh again.

"Okay" he agreed, taking my right hand and, interlacing his fingers atop mine, bringing them between my legs. "But I want you to practice touching yourself. I'll help you, but I need you to be comfortable looking after yourself, understand?"

I wasn't keen on the idea of touching myself in front of Paul, but I nodded in agreement. I would have agreed to anything as our joint fingers delved beneath my panties to rub against my quivering bundle of nerves, Paul's hand controlled our pace as we slid back and forth between my soaked folds. "That's it sweetie, just like that." I was so worked up I felt close to coming apart already. The sounds coming out of me were ones I'd never heard from myself before.

"_Fuck!_ " Paul growled in my ear. His left hand slipped up my back between us, unhooking my bra and reaching around to knead and tweak my rosy buds. "That's it baby, make noise for me…no one can hear us here."

I wailed as his finger pressed my own inside of me, along with his. It was an entirely new sensation for me as I'd never explored myself from the inside like that before. I'd only ever stimulated myself from the outside. He pressed my thumb along with his against my clitoris as he pumped our fingers in and out. I rocked my pelvis forward into our hands, needing more and needing it faster.

"Fuck, baby. Fuck _fuck_ you're hot." His hand working my breasts grabbed me by the hair at the back of my head, pulling my head back and to the side against his shoulder. His mouth devoured mine, his tongue moving boldly in time with the thrust of our fingers inside of me. I felt the inner spasms begin and I jerked forward into our hands as I screamed into his mouth.

"Fuck fuck _fuck_!" He tore his mouth away, swearing as he thrust our fingers harder inside of me, digging the heel of my palm fast and furiously against my sweet spot. "That's it, baby…fucking come for me, sweetie."

"_Aghhhhh!_" My mouth hung open and I wail-moaned as my inner walls gripped and clenched down over and over again on our drenched fingers. _Oh, thank fuck! Sweet Taha Aki, it felt so good to release finally!_

I collapsed back against Paul's hard body, breathing heavily. He peppered my face with kisses. "Mm… that was good, sweetie. Good girl." I soaked up his praise as I burrowed more securely into his warm shoulder, shutting my eyes in contentment. I _was_ oddly proud of myself…_even as I knew he'd really done most of the work_. My inner muscles began to slow their twitching and I went to remove my fingers which were still entwined with Paul's from between my legs. He stopped me.

"Oh, _no_… Not done yet." He pressed my finger firmly back inside of me and gradually began pistoning it in and out along with his own at a faster pace. "You need to come again, baby."

_What?_ He added another one of my fingers so that there were three all together including his large one pumping inside of me. _Could I really orgasm again already?_ My swollen, sensitive walls felt stretched to tenderness as he twisted and rotated our fingers. "That's it…keep breathing…just a little more…" His larger finger pressed my smaller two forward inside of me, curling them towards my front just like he'd done to me in the janitor's closet. _Oh god, oh god, so fucking good!_

I wailed. _Holy shit I was coming again already!_ "That's a good girl…let it happen. That's it baby girl" he coaxed. I felt my insides seize and explode, my muscles contracting again and again. I was practically sobbing with blessed relief as I felt more fluid rush from between my legs onto our hands. Paul's lips crashed against mine, his tongue aggressively invading my open mouth, his firm grip on my hair holding me captive. I was gasping for air when he finally released me. I whimpered as he pulled our fingers out, causing my muscles to spasm slightly again. Drawing our joined hands up he sucked our fingers into his hot mouth.

"_Fuck me!_" Paul growled over our fingers inside his mouth. "If I don't eat you out now I'll fucking explode" Paul snarled gruffly against my neck before shifting my weight in his lap and tossing me roughly onto my back on the couch. Before I could register what was happening I heard the distinct tearing of fabric as my cotton panties were literally ripped off of me. My breath caught in my throat. _What was happening?_ My hands scrambled in panic to cover my newly exposed privates, my knees instinctively clenching together in response to Paul's sudden aggression.

His hands tore mine away from my crotch and pinned them above my head on the couch, holding them easily immobile in one of his large hands as his knees forced between my thighs, spreading me open for him. My heart raced frantically in panic as I thrashed and struggled against his iron grip, suddenly terrified at my own vulnerability.

"Shhh…calm down, calm down…s'okay, Kim" He crooned against my neck. "I swear I'll never hurt you, baby." His warm hand came to rub soothingly over my wildly beating heart. "Never fucking _ever_, honey" he swore, kissing from my neck to my collar bone. "I promise you're okay. I just really need to taste you, baby. Relax and let me do that, okay? _Please_? I _promise_ I'll stop if you don't like it." He kissed me fully on the mouth again until I was breathless and tingling.

"Mmkay, sweetheart?" His warm hand massaged my left breast thoroughly as his nose rubbed alongside mine. I felt myself gently lulled into acquiescence. His warm hand drifted lower to trace slow circles against my lower belly. "Hmm? Can I lick that sweet pussy of yours?" he cajoled. I nodded. _There didn't seem to be too many things Paul couldn't convince me to let him do. _

"Mm…that's my girl" he praised, releasing my hands above my head and kissing his way down my chest and abdomen. He spread my legs further apart as he inched lower, gently forcing them to bend at the knees as he manipulated and positioned them around and over his broad shoulders. He settled between my open legs and I felt his hot breath ghost against my wet folds as his fingers gently spread my outer lips. I shivered as a renewed sense of panic seized me…the realization of how completely on display I was for him and the intensely intimate act which was about to take place hit me full force. _I couldn't do this! There was no way. I only had a vague idea of what was even involved in this process? _

My body jerked in shocked surprise when I felt the tip of Paul's hot tongue lick straight from my anus to my nub. _Holy shit! _I hadn't been expecting that! _Thank fuck I'd spent my entire summer at the beach and still had a fresh Brazilian bikini wax._ He chuckled at my reaction as he blew lightly over the trail he'd made. Then he licked me again, this time with the flat surface of his tongue.

"Mm…baby…taste so fucking good" he purred out, his tongue making slow, impossibly gentle sweeps along my swollen lips and folds, stroking lightly again and again over my clitoris hood. I was seeing spots in my vision as I stared unseeingly up at the light fixture on the ceiling. I'd stopped breathing. _Oh god, oh god, oh god! _My entire body started to shake. I restlessly knotted my hands in my hair as his lips brushed and kissed leisurely over my clitoris and downward. His burning tongue massaged gently around my opening before thrusting inside to taste my wet heat. My inner walls twitched and quivered in reaction to his entry, eager for more.

_Oh. My. God! I would never be the same again._ His long tongue lapped hungrily inside of me, humming in approval as he soaked up all of the fluids he was causing me to secrete. My belly shook uncontrollably. _I was probably going to die of a heart attack at any moment._ His tongue retreated, only to be replaced with his two fingers. I broke out in a cold sweat, shivers racking through me once more. My legs were shaking so hard on his shoulders the muscles hurt from exertion.

As his fingers pumped relentlessly in and out of me his lips closed around my clitoris hood, sucking it gently into his mouth, his clever tongue massaging and sucking with fervor against my sensitive clitoris as he hummed against me, creating a pleasurable sensation beyond description. I tilted my pelvis into his mouth and thrusting fingers with the little strength I had left in my quaking limbs. _Oh, my fucking god! Oh, my fucking god!_

I lost sight of the light fixture on the ceiling as my vision narrowed to black and I felt myself losing consciousness at exactly the worst possible moment. The last thing I felt as his mouth and hands abruptly abandoned my pleasure zone was Paul's huge palm pressing firmly onto my chest, as I heard his forceful directive "_Breathe!_"

**A/N – Come on, it's **_**totally**_** like my Kim to pass out during her first introduction to cunalingus, don't you think? This is the same girl who threw up on Jared last night, remember? ;) **

**Will Paul revive her in time to finish her off? Will the poor guy ever get his own release? To be continued…**

**Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! **


	7. Chapter 7  I love Jared

**A/N – I always like to respond to all of my reviewers, so if you've reviewed and haven't heard from me, it likely means your PM is not enabled. If you want me to respond, please activate your private messaging capability on your account. I will definitely answer questions and take story suggestions. I may not answer certain questions if I think it will give too much away in terms of where the story is headed. (Yes, that means you'll just have to keep reading to find out who imprinted and who didn't. Muahahahahaha!)**

**With regard to the last chapter – Yes, Paul knew about Kim and Jared's evening because he saw it in Jared's head while phased. My Paul, however, is good at keeping his thoughts to himself while in wolf form so Jared has not seen a replay of any of the action between Kim and Paul thus far. That said, now that Paul has made a public statement of being with Kim (walking hand in hand in the school hallway for all to see), the shit is about to hit the proverbial fan and there will be a snout-off between two wolves in the chapter after this one. **

**Now on to the story…beware major LEMON ahead! **

**Pimping: I'm officially in love with **_**jaytan**_**'s Leah in **_**Mating Season Bitch in Heat**_**! Seriously, so effing funny I'm laughing out loud every few sentences as my husband looks over at me like I'm deranged. I totally want to live inside her Leah's head. And the way she pokes fun at Bella and Edward…and pretty much everyone, is just…priceless! Go check that bitch in heat out! **

**Disclaimer: I'm not that crazy Mormon chick. No offense to the non-crazy Mormons intended—my in-laws included (**_**well…some of them**_**). **

"Breathe, Kim!" Paul's commanding voice broke through the dim ringing in my cotton filled ears as I felt his fingers pinch my nose and tilt my jaw open, his lips sealing against mine. I felt a rush of warm air enter my mouth and inflate my lungs but by that time I had already started breathing shallowly on my own and was coming to. I wanted to pass right back out again and hopefully die of embarrassment when my eyes fluttered open to see the worried expression on Paul's handsome face as he hovered above me.

_God, I was the world's biggest idiot!_ _Why did I have to make a complete ass of myself at every opportunity? _

I covered my face with my hands, muttering "_oh god, oh god_" and willing myself not to cry.

_Why couldn't I just ONE TIME avoid completely humiliating myself? JUST __**ONCE**__? _I wouldn't have thought it possible but somehow my embarrassment level now was even worse than when I'd puked spinach on Jared last night._ So much worse than even the time I fell off the stage at my ballet recital... which had heretofore been my ultimate humiliation barometer. _

"You okay, baby?" Paul's deep voice was concerned, yet there was a strained quality to it that sounded suspiciously like…_barely suppressed laughter!_

I peeked surreptitiously through my fingers to see him biting his lower lip, his shoulders shaking with poorly restrained mirth. _Mother fucker!_ Without thinking I flung my fist out and whacked him squarely on the shoulder as hard as I could. It was like hitting a block of cement. _Fuck!_ My already bruised wrist hurt like hell now and that just pissed me off even more.

Something in me snapped and I started batting both fists against his quaking chest as hard as I could as he snorted with laughter. I swore at him. Cuss words flew out of my mouth that might've shocked new He-Man Tourette's Embry. I didn't even know how I knew such words but somehow they were there, tripping off my tongue with ease. Paul howled even harder in amusement.

I'd never hit anyone before. Never in my life! I'd never been a violent person so it was an oddly rewarding experience to be able to pummel my fists as hard as I wanted into something that I clearly couldn't break; surely couldn't even bruise. He didn't even flinch at my harshest attacks. _Could the bastard even feel?_

I employed all of my strength as I continued to pound into him and yet it was nothing compared to him. _I was nothing compared to him._ The obvious physical reminder of what I already knew made it all the more painful to swallow. _I was no match for Paul. We didn't fit. He'd always been stronger, sharper, cooler, just better than I'd ever been or would be._

_God, I was so tired of being weak!_ _Tired of being weak, plain, lamegirl Kim!_ So sick of always being the one embarrassed and humiliated when I wasn't the one being completely ignored. _Why was he pretending he wanted to be with me?_ He belonged in the beautiful people's club with the likes of Gabby.

_Why'd he have to hold hands with me in the hall for everyone to see? Why was he still fucking with my head and fucking up the first and only chance I'd ever had with Jared?_

"_Fuck you!_ I fucking _hate_ you!" I lashed out at him with everything I had. "I fucking hate you _and_ your fucking smell!"

"Hey…whoa, easy now…" He was still chuckling as he snagged my injured fists and pinned them easily above my head with one hand. _How dare he? How dare he make me feel even more weak and vulnerable right now?_ "That's enough, baby, you're gonna hurt yourself" he chided lightly.

"Don't fucking patronize me! I'm not your fucking "baby"!" I didn't completely know where all this was coming from but I couldn't seem to stop.

"I'm not some bimbo slut like your girlfriend Gabby you can just fuck around with and toss aside. I have principles… and…and fucking feelings! And you've just ruined my entire goddamn worthless life and now you're laughing at me. This was never ss-sup-posed t-to h-hap-pen!" The waterworks burst forth. _Ugh! Damnit!_

"Awe, _baby_, don't cry" he crooned.

_Stupid bastard did not just call me "baby" again! Ugh! He wasn't even listening to me!_

"This isn't a joke to me" I sobbed, "I never asked for you to smell good!" I was hysterical and starting to sound like an imbecile. "I never wanted to like your stupid face." _I was the queen of lame set downs._

"Sweetheart, you're _not_ a joke to me" he avowed, inching his face closer to mine as he stretched out and lowered himself over top of me on the couch. His naked chest brushed against mine as he hovered over me, his weight supported by his elbows and legs. My idiot nipples hardened in response. _Oh, god, he smelled like heaven this close to me. _

"I w-want my clothes and I w-want out of h-here" I demanded between a rush of stutter sobs and hiccups.

"I don't laugh to make fun of you, angel." He said softly and so earnestly. "Kim, I laugh because I enjoy you so damn much." He brushed his nose tenderly against my forehead. "I can't help it." His knee lowered between my legs, nudging them open as his muscled thigh sank into the couch between mine. "I just enjoy everything about you." The top of his thigh pressed casually into my damp, naked crotch. The impulse to wrap my legs around his hard, warm thigh and grind my pulsing ache into him was so strong. _Christ, I was thinking about humping his frickin leg!_ I could already feel the liquid heat pooling between my thighs in anticipation.

_He was doing it again!_ _Saying and doing everything right!_ Lulling me into complacency and submission when all I wanted was to be angry and hate him.

"Oh, for god's sakes just stop it! Stop it already with your sexy talking saying all the perfect things all the fucking time bullshit!" I spat out. My whole body was starting to vibrate...whether from anger, nervous tension, fatigue or arousal, I wasn't sure. I was trembling as if I was freezing cold, but I had never felt as warm before as I did now with Paul's heat surrounding me. He shifted lower against me, and I felt his hard stomach press down onto my pelvis and lower belly. My stomach flip-flopped, my sex fluttered. _Oh, god, the skin on skin contact was too much!_ I could feel the moisture dripping from me. The thumb of his hand shackling my wrists began to gently caress back and forth over the sensitive skin there as he lowered his hot mouth to my neck.

"_**I won't like you!**_" I enunciated, practically shouting directly in his ear as he began to kiss and suck at my neck. I followed up my crushing declaration with a heavy moan as his teeth and tongue worked their gentle magic. He casually maneuvered his other leg in between mine to join the first, spreading my limbs wider apart in order to accommodate him. I felt flames ignite between my thighs. Without even thinking I tilted my pelvis up into him. I sniffed at his shoulder and inhaled more of his luscious scent. _Damnit! I was losing my focus again._

"You _**can't make me**_ like you!" I stressed again as my clitoris pounded back that I was a liar. "I don't care how good you fucking smell" I whined like a two-year-old. I was swiftly losing hold of myself—_I was my own worst enemy. _

_Every ego had its breaking point, right? _I just had to find Paul's.

"**I love Jared**." I said it clearly and firmly despite my trembling jaw.

He raised his head from my neck. Black eyes searched mine. I felt a tightening in my belly.

"**I. Love. Jared**." I said it again, looking directly into his penetrating orbs, my heart hammering frantically.

He nodded solemnly. "Mm…possibly…" His eyes roamed lazily over my face, seeming to catalog each of my features before settling on my lips.

"You don't have to like me, Kim" he breathed out huskily, his gaze returning to mine. "But I can't ever stop liking _you_." My heart skipped. "And for the record…your smell does things to me too." I swallowed hard. He ran his nose along my jawline, whispering "Makes me want to do all sorts of delightfully naughty things to you, Kim."

He raised his head, quirking his brow at me. "You wanna know about the things that go through my mind when I smell you, Kimmie?" I bit my lip, speechless. He smirked just before his mouth lowered onto mine; hard, claiming, demanding. I responded in kind.

Our tongues met and battled. He sucked mine into his mouth as I unconsciously opened my legs wider, bringing my knees up and wrapping my thighs around his torso as he sank his weight into my throbbing core. He released my hands and I tangled them in his hair, tugging at the roots to draw him impossibly closer as I groaned into his hot mouth. His hand gripped under my left thigh, raising it even higher around his waist.

"This is all wrong!" I gasped for air. "**I… love… **_**Jared**_!" I insisted again in desperation as his lips continued their attack on mine.

He growled against my mouth. It was low and animalistic and I felt the vibration of it throughout my whole body_. What the_ _holy hell?_ He broke away from my lips. Shifting his weight higher up my body, he ground his hard erection roughly between my legs. "_Ughh!_" I grunted out against the skin at the crook of his neck and shoulder, where my face was now buried. _Oh, fuck me!_ God he smelled edible right there. I had to resist the urge to lick him.

"This what you want, baby?" he taunted, grinding into me again…_hard._

"Ungh!" _Oh, fuck me it was exactly what I wanted!_

He did it again, rubbing back and forth against me, making sure I could feel the entire length of his boxer clad thick hard-on against my naked, wet sweet spot.

"Aghh! This… is all… so…_SO WRONG!_" I pant-shrieked between moans of pleasure.

"I just want to give you what you want, baby." He grunted, pressing his cock so forcefully against me I thought I was going to come apart on the spot. "Is that so terrible of me? Hmm?" He pushed into me again. Unable to resist anymore, I tilted my pelvis up to meet his thrust, wriggling myself frantically against him. His hand under my left thigh squeezed and gripped into my ass cheek, his fingers sliding around from behind to tap lightly at the opening of my weeping hole. "Tell me…why is that so wrong?" I whimpered. I wanted his fingers inside of me so badly my inner walls were clenching in anticipation. I was aching. _I wanted him._

"Just let me give you what you want, Kim" he tempted in a throaty whisper at my crown. I closed my eyes.

"I know you're scared and confused. But I know what you need better than you do right now." I felt his lips brush across the top of my head. "Let me help you figure it out, baby. _Please?_" he entreated.

"I want to help you so bad it hurts me, honey." I felt his nose brush against the hair at my crown, sniffing me. "Fucking hurts, baby" he pouted "to feel how much your sweet pussy wants me" he circled my dripping opening with one long finger "and not be able to fucking give you want it wants." He punctuated his point with a slow, tantalizing grind of his hard erection against my clitoris.

"_Angh!"_ I wanted to scream my head off in frustration and exasperation. _God how I wanted him…needed him._ _I hated him._

"You're… you're…_doing it_ _again_!" I whined in desperation, running out of cards to play. "Stop… manipulating me… into liking you!" I accused. "Into…_wanting_ you! I _can't like you_…it'll just ruin everything!" I pleaded weakly.

"Mm…but you already do like me, Kimmie" he argued smoothly in that sexy baritone. "You already want me so bad your juices are running off onto the couch."

_Fuck, I had no answer to that._ I think I stopped breathing again.

He shifted on his supporting elbow, flexing his upper body slightly again in order to bring his head lower into alignment with mine. He ran the tip of his nose along my temple down to my jawline and back again. "Just say yes, baby" his warm breath fanned the shell of my ear. "Say yes and let me give you what I know you want."

_Oh, dear God, it was tempting…so tempting…_

"Just one word, baby" he enticed "just say _yes_." His front teeth closed gently around my earlobe.

An odd, squeaky noise like an injured bird sounded in my throat.

"I'll be so fucking good to you, Kim" he whispered hoarsely in my ear. "I _promise_…_so fucking good!_" he swore, sucking on the skin of my neck below my ear. "Say yes, Kim."

His fingers dipped and teased at my opening. "_Tell me yes_" he urged.

I barely heard myself say the word it was spoken so softly. But I said it….

"_Yesssss!_"

I was rewarded with a deep, guttural growl and the sound of ripping fabric as Paul hastily tore his own cotton briefs off.

_Oh, fuck me I was seriously going to have sex now! I was actually about to lose my virginity to Paul fucking Lahote! _It was like I'd entered some crazy erotica twilight zone where nothing made any damn sense but everything was fucking hot as hell._ Who rips off their own underwear? _ _This insanity was NOT my life! _

Paul's hand splayed under my tailbone and I felt my butt lifted momentarily off the couch. When it was lowered again, I noted a piece of warm fabric had been placed underneath it. _Paul's torn underwear, I presumed?_ _Oh my, I wondered…was that to catch my erm...juices… which he'd so eloquently pointed out were running off onto the couch? Should I be embarrassed or thankful for his thoughtfulness? _

_What were the rules of etiquette for boys' locker room coach's office sex?_

Paul raised himself off of me and into a kneeling position between my open legs, giving me an unobstructed view of him in all his naked male glory as he stroked the length of his absurdly large, hardened member once for good measure directly above me.

_H-O-L-Y SHIT!_

_Oh, well, that settled it._ There was no way it was going to fit. _We couldn't have sex after all. _

I wasn't experienced in such matters by any stretch, as I had barely seen the tip of a cockhead just once before…_last night with Jared_. So as I waffled between screaming in terror, whimpering with lust, and sobbing in frustration in reaction to the visual before me, my patterned distress response kicked in, and I busted out laughing.

Even as naïve as I was, I was pretty sure that wasn't the most appropriate response.

My whole body shook with giggles. I was soon snorting and guffawing hysterically. Judging by the confused look on Paul's face, I was willing to bet he'd never encountered that reaction before. The thought made me snicker even harder to the point I was on the verge of hyperventilating when I heard him clear his throat audibly above me.

I tucked my lips together between my teeth to try to control my laughter as I peeked up at him through eyelashes damp with tears of mirth. His head was tilted slightly to the side as he gazed down at me. He didn't look angry or upset. His lips were curved into a half-smile and his eyes were roving casually over my naked body, darkening slightly at my exposed, open legs.

_Oh, wow…he still thought we were having sex?_

"Ummm…that's not gonna work" I squawked out anxiously, my eyes shooting to his surely oversized organ.

"Oh, I guarantee it works, baby." He smirked wickedly as he pumped his fist down his hard length and back up again once more. "Allow me to demonstrate" he offered cockily.

Before I could blink, much less formulate a response, I felt the heat of his body all over me as he sank down on top of me between my open legs. His mouth descended, catching my gasp of surprise as he claimed me in a lip-lock that threatened to shatter me. It was different from any of our previous kisses. It was so smooth, so fluid, magical…_consuming_. It felt like a physical restatement of his earlier promise. _A promise he'd be good to me. An assurance he knew how._ My panic subsided as I was lost in his kiss. Clinging to his neck, I began arching into his warm, hard body, wanting more of him; wanted everything his kiss seemed to be promising. I felt his steady hand brush reassuringly back and forth along the inside of my quivering leg and I melted further into his care.

After a moment his hand was replaced with something warm, smooth, and hard. It took only a second for me to register what it was as I felt it rub up against the inside of my leg to the place where I was aching most. _Oh, God!_ He was slowly guiding it back and forth with his hand over the cleft between my legs, teasing it over my clitoris, circling gently around my opening, pressing shallowly into my wet entrance, and then retreating, only to repeat the movement. I was desperately aroused and completely petrified at the same time. My body stiffened and my lips stopped moving against his.

"Breathe, baby" Paul instructed, kissing along my jaw. "I'm just saying hello. Don't be scared."

I nodded passively, numbly accepting his reassurance. _Why wouldn't I?_ I had his hot, smooth rod teasing at the door to my ultimate pleasure_. It felt so good. Oh, god, so good._

But something at the back of my mind was nagging at me again, fighting its way through my lust-filled haze. _Oh, right! This wasn't gonna work!_

"Too big!" I blurted out anxiously against his lips, followed by "never fit!"

"Mm…just relax, sweetie" he soothed softly, pushing the tip a little further inside of me. "That's it" he encouraged, pressing forward. I moaned as he rocked and teased back and forth into me repeatedly until the entire mushroom head of his cock was filling my entrance, stretching my lips until they almost burned. "Breathe" he reminded gently. I complied. I was heady with his tantalizing scent. "That's my girl…stay with me." I felt my wetness coating over him as he wiggled and pressed further inside my slick entrance.

Just as I was sure we'd reached the limit and there was no way his thick cock could squeeze any further inside of me, Paul's fingers stole between us to stroke deftly against my throbbing bundle. "Ah! Gah!" More fluid seemed to rush out of me as I jerked my hips up into him, inadvertently pushing his head further inside.

"Good girl" Paul praised. His upper body weight was supported by his left arm as he leaned on his elbow and forearm, propped up over me. This left his right hand free to pleasure me as his hips rocked into me, slowly nudging his thick shaft deeper and deeper inside of me. His fingers teased in relentless circles against my hardened nub. "Take me in baby" he coaxed, penetrating ever further into me, making me groan. "That's it…take all of me" he grunted, his lips against my temple.

My insides stretched and burned. _It hurt…but then it felt SO good. It hurt again….but then I liked it. _ He was only barely past my opening and yet I didn't really think I could take in any more of him. I was beyond wet and so turned on and ready to come apart as he simultaneously stimulated and penetrated me that my hips lifted and wiggled into him of their own accord, seeking blessed relief.

He thrust tentatively into me again and I felt a twinge of pain as his cockhead seemed to butt up against some inner barrier. _Oh, shit…there was still that part to get through._ I tensed.

"Is that…uh…have you…uh…reached my…um…are you gonna just…uh…?" I struggled to find the right words, suddenly on the verge of a complete panic attack.

"_Breathe, Kim_!" Paul commanded. "_Relax_ and don't think so much, honey…just _feel_."

"S'gonna hurt, right?" I questioned timidly, gasping for air, clearly having difficulty heeding his advice.

He kissed my hairline. "_Maybe_…" he paused, seeming to consider, "_but_… there are all different kinds of hurt, baby. You might… _like_ this kind" he suggested cryptically.

"Is it…uh…_hard_…um…to break through…one…of those…?" I asked lamely, unable to stop my racing, panicked thoughts. "I mean…is it ever…_too_ hard…_too_ tough…to break?" I rambled on like a desperate idiot. "I _mean_…have you ever…uh…had trouble…I mean…I mean…" _I realized after the fact I'd just inquired about his experience breaking hymens. Shit this was all kinds of awkward!_

I felt a rush of hot air at my hairline as Paul sighed wearily. His fingers stilled against my clitoris. "It's already broken, sweetheart. Most hymens are never fully intact" he explained patiently, like he was giving an anatomy lesson to a child.

"My fingers have already been inside of you well past your hymen. You just have some…residual barrier skin along the outer lining of your walls, making the passage a bit too narrow for my big dick to get all the way through." _Fuck, he was like a damn doctor! Well…a hot, foul-mouthed doctor…with a huge dick…still swollen inside of me…_

"Understand?" he asked gruffly, interrupting my train of thought. I nodded stupidly.

"We good now?" he inquired succinctly.

I nodded again. _Jesus! I felt like an idiot. Why hadn't my damn gynecologist ever told me that shit? Paul knew more about my own vagina…and vaginas in general, than I did. _

He pushed gently against my inner barrier once more, seemingly to gauge its strength, before pulling back and almost all of the way out of me. _What?_ He slid so hard and fast back into me I gasped, my inner walls fluttering and clenching around him eagerly as his cock stopped inside me just short of my barrier.

"Awe, fuck me, Kim" he growled. "Goddamn you feel good, baby." I whimpered as his words caused my insides to flutter and grip around him again, wanting to pull him in deeper. "Your pussy's fucking hotter and tighter than I even imagined." More fluids rushed out of me. His fingers resumed their exploration of my clitoris, adding to my frenzy.

"Fuck…feels so fucking good when your sweet pussy grips my cockhead, baby" he murmured roughly, pulling out again and then ramming back inside of me, still stopping short. I wailed, my hands gripping around his waist.

"Makes me wanna bury myself balls deep in you" he thrust again "fuck you senseless" he retreated "so you'll stop thinking altogether and just feel" he grunted out, thrusting shallowly into me again. _Oh, fuck, I was gonna come like crazy if he kept talking like that._ I moaned and undulated beneath him.

"You want more of me, baby?" he teased, continuing his shallow, evasive thrusts. "Hmm?" he breathed against my temple. "You want all of me buried deep inside you, Kim?" he whispered seductively, his lips ghosting along my forehead as he pinched my swollen nub between two fingers. I shrieked and bucked against him, about to careen over the edge.

"You wanna tell me again now" he pulled all the way out "how much you fucking love Jared?" he taunted, thrusting hard back into me. My muscles began to spasm. "Hmm?" he pushed deeper and I started to fall apart. "Tell me, Kim" he demanded.

"Angh! _W-who?_" I asked dazedly, my insides fluttering out of control.

"_Tell me_" he insisted again, his brilliant fingers relentlessly manipulating my clitoris.

"_Wha-? Ahh!_" I managed to moan-shriek in response. _What the hell was he asking me about?_

"_Ungh!_ Oh God, Paul! _Oh god oh god oh my fucking god!_" I wailed as I came apart.

"You're _my_ _girl_, Kim!" he growled. "_Don't"_ he thrust hard and I felt a sharp, stabbing pain "_ever_" he thrust deeper, "_fucking_" I cried out as he sheathed himself impossibly deeper "_forget it!_" he plunged all the way inside of me and I screamed, my tight channel spasming out of control, gripping his thick member as I came harder than I ever imagined possible.

My nails dug into his back as I jerked against him, my thighs gripping and flexing higher around his waist. I continued to mutter "oh god oh god", my face now buried against his sweaty chest, as I rode out my final wave of orgasm. My insides burned, but it was a glorious sort of agony…a beautiful ache. Paul had been right. It was a good kind of hurt…a kind I'd definitely_ liked! _

Paul was muttering a constant stream of profanity above my head. He was supported on both of his elbows now; his hands fisted in my hair, pulling hard at the roots. As all tension left me and my body swiftly turned into a gelatinous blob, I realized Paul was still completely rigid against me…and still hard as a fucking rock inside of me. _He was still hard? Oh! That meant…_

He breathed deeply in and out, flexing and releasing his hands in my hair. "You good, baby?" he asked in a strained whisper.

"Mm…hmm" was the best I could manage in my languid state.

He kissed the top of my head. "Did I hurt you?" he asked tentatively.

"Uh-uh" I shook my head minutely back and forth in his grasp. "Good kind" I added after a pause.

He chuckled. "Yeah? Mm…thought so." He kissed my head again, his fingers relaxing and beginning to stroke gently against my scalp. I purred. It felt so good. I felt so perfect lying beneath him. It was easy to forget for a moment that we'd never belong.

He began to move inside of me slowly, rocking in and out of me just slightly, but he stopped when I hissed abruptly. "Sore?"

"Mmm…" I hesitated. I was _definitely_ sore. Truthfully I felt like I'd been split in two and I was dubious as to whether I'd even be able to walk out of the boys' locker room when this erotic twilight zone episode was all said and done. But as I scented Paul's sweaty chest above me and felt his stiff prick twitch inside me, the tingling and coiling in my belly began all over again.

All these times Paul had gotten me off, he'd never once had a release. I realized now how much I wanted to see…wanted to _feel_ him come apart as well.

I pressed my lips to his chest, shaking my head. "Uh-uh."

"Sure?" he panted doubtfully.

"Please?" I mumbled nervously against his chest. "Don't stop" I implored.

He growled again. _Jesus, what was with all the growling?_

He began to move, rocking gently in and out. _It hurt. But then it felt good. It burned. But then it tingled._ It wasn't long before he was picking up the pace, pulling further out, and ramming back into me. It wasn't long before I was writhing beneath him, lifting my hips to meet his thrusts, wrapping my legs around him, panting and moaning and clawing at his chest. It wasn't long before I was murmuring "please" over and over as he teased me to the brink of orgasm again and again; going fast, then slow, thrusting up inside of me so hard I screamed, then rocking gently in and out at such a deliberately leisurely pace I whimpered in frustration. And then he was swearing savagely again, making all sorts of dirty promises about the things he was going to do to me, vowing no one would ever fuck me as well as he could and muttering nonsensically about how he would rip Jared's head off with his teeth before he let him touch what was his. He told me to come, and I did. And then he told me again…and I did again, as he thrust hard against my cervix, making me see stars as he shot his hot load deep inside of me. I was still shuddering inside and out as, still joined, he rolled us over so that I lay on top of him, my head pillowed against his shoulder. He crooned sweet, soothing words and more crazy promises, peppering my whole face with kisses as he wrapped me up against his warmth, his hot hands running up and down and all over me in a calming caress.

I was completely spent and exhausted as my eyes fluttered shut, listening to the sound of Paul's steady heartbeat. And as I drifted off to sleep, I was thinking how for the first time in my life, I'd never wanted so badly to be Gabby. I'd never wanted so desperately to be part of the beautiful people's club. In that brief space between sleep and wakefulness I realized how badly I wanted to belong with Paul.

**A/N – Whew! I don't know about you, but I am soooo relieved Paul finally got that pesky hymen out of our way. Virgin sex scenes can be super tedious and laborious to write. Now we can finally move on to the good stuff. Woohoo!**

**Thank you THANK YOU again for reading and reviewing! It's the only thing that keeps me writing when Kim's never-ending neuroses start driving me batty and the virgin sex gets tiresome. **

**Random true fact: **_**I **_**actually **_**did**_** fall off the stage at my own ballet recital many moons ago. And that's not even in my top 5 of all time embarrassing moments. ;)**

**Unfortunately, I probably won't be able to update until the week after next. Stupid job getting in the way of fanfiction again! Darned investors wanting their damned 2****nd**** quarter financial reports. Don't they know I have important wolf fights and lemon scenes to edit? **

**Next up: Jared & Paul go snout to snout in wolf form in Ch 8, entitled **_**"Who's your Beta?"**_


	8. Chapter 8  Who's your Beta?  Part I

**A/N – So this work week was crazy, as anticipated, and I'm still behind the eight ball. I was unable to finish editing the entire chapter 8 as outlined and drafted, so I've opted to split it into two parts, in favor of posting something sooner vs. posting a big nothing for another week or so. So this is the first 16 pages of Ch 8, "**_**Who's your Beta? – Part I**_**". As I see it the whole thing is really Embry's fault, because he won't shut up and he's constantly demanding more page time, which he gets in Part II. **

**Thanks again to all of my wonderful readers and reviewers! I'm sorry I've been slow to respond this week. **

**Usual disclaimer nonsense: I didn't make $50M last year off book sales and movie proceeds. **_**I know, I know…I'm still upset over the injustice of it too!**_

I was drifting partway back and forth between sleep and waking, stirred by the sensation of a dampened cloth running gently over and between my legs. It was somewhat arousing, but not enough to make me want to abandon my blessed dream state any sooner than I had to.

"Baby, we gotta jet." A male voice purred in my ears. _ I knew that voice. I liked that voice…it was full of sex and promises. _A part of my disoriented brain wanted to do whatever it said, but another part…was just too damn tired.

"So tired…five more minutes" I croaked out.

"No, honey. Now." The voice insisted.

"Ugh…so sleepy. Can't…move" I complained.

I felt a shirt being tugged over my head and my arms pushed through sleeves as I was propped into a half-seated position. I whined; eyes still shut. I felt like I'd been run over by a truck.

Warm hands massaged briefly but purposefully over my breasts in the process of righting my shirt, bringing my nipples to a peak. That sexy voice nuzzled against my ear. "Come on, baby, wake up."

"_Noooo_" I whined desperately, going limp in my semi-upright position "need sleep…_please_?" I begged.

My upper body was permitted to fall backwards until I was horizontal on the soft surface again as I felt jeans being tugged over my ankles and up my legs. My butt was lifted in the air as the jeans shimmied over my hips into place. I noted whoever was dressing me had forgotten to put on my underwear as I felt the rough seam of my jeans brush up against my sensitive privates. _Ouch!_ Dear lord I was sore between my legs. _What on earth? _

"Are you're my girl, Kim?" the sex voice whispered low in my ear, kissing and nibbling along its sensitive shell. "Hmm?"

I moaned groggily. _What did that have to do with me sleeping? _

"Tell me you're my girl and I'll let you sleep, baby." _Huh? Mr. Sex wasn't exactly an ace negotiator, was he? _

"Mm'kay…I'm your girl" I mumbled easily. I felt myself drifting back into blessed dreamland to the sound of deep, happy laughter and the feel of a hard, warm and familiar body embracing me. I snuggled into the hard wall holding me as I felt myself moving and floating through the air, so fast I could have sworn the wind was whipping through my hair. I burrowed closer to the warmth and breathed in the most delightful scent…the smell of safety, comfort and home….and I knew everything was going to be okay.

I awoke what seemed like only minutes later, hot and sweaty, lying too snuggled in my own bed. I blinked my eyes open once, twice, taking in my surroundings. _Oh, my god! It had all been a dream? I hadn't even gone to school yet?_

_I hadn't even gone to school yet!_ The alarm clock on my nightstand glared 1:13pm back at me in bright red. _Shit, I'd slept through almost an entire day of school!_ Adrenaline coursed through me and I jumped into action, yanking the covers back and swinging my limbs over the side of the bed. As I made to stand, I sank instantly into a heap onto the floor as my wobbly legs failed me. I yelped as my butt hit the hard wood and I felt the burning ache between my legs full force. I looked down and saw that I was dressed in my jeans and shirt, not in my sleep set.

_Oh, my god, it hadn't been a dream!_ Just as that realization hit me Paul bounded noiselessly into my bedroom, scooping me off the ground as if I weighed nothing and depositing me carefully back onto my bed. I think my expression was one of pure bewilderment as Paul's big hands skimmed familiarly up and down my body, seemingly checking for injuries. A wry grin twisted his beautiful face as he leaned down over me until our forehead's almost brushed. "You okay?" his deep voice was rich with humor and…_happiness_. There was an odd look of satisfaction and pure contentment on Paul's face that I'd never seen before. It made me blush.

_Oh, my god, it had all been real! It had actually happened! Oh, my god!_

For some reason, Paul looked even more gorgeous than ever standing shirtless over my bed. I also noted he looked more enormous than ever filling the space of my small bedroom. His warm palm cupped the side of my face, his thumb rubbing across to gently extract my lower lip which I'd unknowingly taken between my teeth. I blinked, still completely bereft of speech. I felt his other hand rub up between my inner thighs and gently cup between my legs. His brow furrowed slightly with concern. "How's my girl feeling?"

I moaned as his fingers stroked lightly over my jeans. His thumb passed back and forth over my bottom lip before stealing inside my mouth, past my teeth to roll over my tongue. Instinctively I closed my lips over his thumb, sucking it further into my mouth as I rolled my tongue along its length. I watched his eyes darken as he licked his lips.

"Baby, don't tease me like that when you're way too sore and tender still to take the kind of pounding you're making me wanna give you right now." I mewled softly over his thumb and my eyes rolled back in my head at his words. _I was sore…so so sore!_ But I was shocked to realize I wanted him more than I was sore. As my clitoris throbbed with anticipation I realized with a certain horror I'd gladly take any kind of "pounding" he wanted to give me right now. Unable to stop myself, I rocked my pelvis into his stiff hand. _Oh god, what was happening to me? _I did it again. _I was losing it!_

"Get in the shower, Kim." He whispered thickly, removing his thumb from my mouth. I looked up to find his irises a bright gold. "Now!" he ordered, his hand squeezing sharply between my legs once before withdrawing altogether as he took several steps back away from my bed.

_He didn't have to tell me twice!_ Fear did interesting things to improve coordination and strengthen tired leg muscles it turned out as I leapt from the bed and onto my feet, bolting out the door and into the bathroom. As I turned the lock into place I realized the door Jared had torn off the night before had been fixed. _Had Paul fixed it, I wondered?_

This question along with a million others assaulted my still tired and struggling brain as the warm water beat down on me in the shower. _How had I gotten home?_ _He must have carried me still sleeping to the car?_ How odd I hadn't even stirred when he buckled me into the car. _Had he taken my car or his car?_ I couldn't believe I was so completely exhausted I hadn't even awoken until after the absurdly late hour of 1pm.

How was I ever going to graduate, I mused, soaping my hair, if I kept missing so much school? I'd barely attended any classes and I was only two days into the semester. _And damnit I still needed to see Maggie! _I had intended to seek her out first this morning before Paul had accosted me with his smell at my Iocker. I can't believe I'd barely talked to Maggie since I'd been back. _Shit, I hadn't even talked to my dad since I'd been back! _

And yet somehow I'd managed to find the time to get finger fucked in a janitor's closet by Paul Lahote, dry humped up against the wall of my living room by Jared Cameron, masturbated to orgasm multiple times in a coach's office in the boys' locker room by Paul, followed by an introduction to cunalingus and the loss of my virginity to Paul. _Wow, no wonder I was so exhausted! _Not to mention the fact I hadn't eaten much in the last 24 hours and I'd vomited part of it. _Woman couldn't run forever on anxiety and the scent of hot boys alone. _

_Shit fuck! I hadn't even used protection with Paul! _I'd been on the pill since I was 15 to help regulate my hormones and ease painful periods, but that didn't protect me from diseases. _And, oh lord! Of course I had to go ahead and have sex with the biggest man-whore of the reservation! Jesus, I couldn't catch a break! _ I would just have to get tested for every sexually transmitted disease in the book. There was no way around it. _And I really had to stop thinking about all of this insanity before I flipped the fuck out. _

I tried to focus on something less disturbing than acquiring any multitude of dangerous and potentially life threatening STDs as I gently washed the sensitive, sore flesh between my legs. These were not things I'd ever considered having to worry about my senior year, much less within the first week of school. I noticed just a small amount of blood had stained the inside of my jeans when I peeled them off. I recalled the sensation of a damp cloth rubbing between my legs when I was groggy and half asleep back in the locker room. I blushed as I realized Paul had taken it upon himself to clean me up. For some reason my belly fluttered in excitement as it occurred to me what a sweet gesture that was. _Maybe he really did like me? _

_Oh, hell, what was wrong with me?_ I was an idiot. Cleaning the blood and semen off of someone after you break their hymen in a locker room was probably no more than common courtesy at its most basic level, it occurred to me on second thought.

I shut the water off and proceeded to towel myself dry. The lighting was better outside of the shower and I noticed the bruises on my wrists were now a deep purple and looked far worse than they had last night. I had some very faint bruising around my inner thighs and the backs of my legs, but not so terrible or noticeable. My lower back had felt sore as I scrubbed it in the shower and so I turned around in the mirror, looking over my shoulder to assess the situation. I was horrified to see a line of deep purple bruising running down my lower spine to my tailbone. _Ouch! How in the world had that happened? _ The memory of Jared knocking me against the wall last night resurfaced. I hadn't even felt any pain then amid the throes of passion._ But now…wow…I looked like I'd been thrown into a wall in a brawl or something._

Remembering Jared last night conjured forth the image of him with bright yellow eyes as I'd revealed to him Embry's part in my injured wrists. The same yellow eyes Paul seemed to possess at times as well. This was something I'd been avoiding thinking about in the last 36 hours. I had scant explanation for the odd string of events which had taken place in the last two days, and none whatsoever to account for those freakish golden eyes. I knew they meant something…but I was scared shitless to find out what it was. _What if it was something…something even worse than them being on steroids…or some other drug?_ I didn't know what it could be…or what might be worse than drugs…but I didn't know if I could handle finding out. I had to ask though…if I didn't, those eyes were going to haunt my nightmares for sure.

I definitely felt better, certainly more refreshed and human once I'd towel dried my hair and dressed in a clean pair of jogging shorts and a tee shirt; making my way to the kitchen, following the sound of cabinets opening and closing, but more importantly… _the unmistakable and completely unexpected smell of food cooking! _

I walked in to see Paul pulling a large casserole from the oven. _What. The. Fuck? Paul could cook? And if so, where in the hell had the ingredients even come from for him to whip up a fucking casserole? _

He smiled at my bewildered expression, serving up two heaping plates and bringing them over to the table. "C'mon, you gotta be hungry." He tilted his head, motioning me over.

We sat in silence shoveling food into our mouths without pause after the initial polite remarks and comments about it being good and how hungry we both were. I still couldn't fathom where the fuck it had come from or how Paul could have whipped it up so quickly out of nothing, but I was too hungry to care. Once my belly was stuffed to satisfaction, I swallowed my fear and artlessly blurted the thought that was driving me nuts.

"Your eyes…they turned yellow."

"And?" he quipped nonchalantly, as if I'd just stated something completely irrelevant or mundane.

"And it scared me." I was mildly surprised I'd actually for once found the voice and words to express it as quickly and as easily as I had.

He arched his brow. "So?" he challenged.

"So…Jared's turn yellow too." I pressed on, peeking up at him through my lashes, feeling a little less sure of myself now.

"And Jared's yellow eyes scare you too?" He questioned calmly. _Was he patronizing me?_

I nodded, feeling outright foolish now. There was a pregnant pause while Paul casually consumed two huge bites of casserole.

"Well, our eyes aren't going to hurt you, Kim." He stated matter-of-factly, once he'd swallowed his second bite. "They don't shoot laser beams or anything cool like that" he added with a smirk.

I blushed and rolled my eyes in annoyance. _Why'd he have to make me feel like an idiot? It was a legitimate thing to be bothered about someone's eyes turning yellow! Right? Was I missing something in this Twilight Zone misadventure I was somehow caught in?_

"We can't all have beautiful brown eyes like yours that turn hazel when we're excited, can we, Kim? Some of us have to settle for yellow" he lamented drolly.

"Quit patronizing me all the time!" I snapped.

"Quit letting me!" he bit back, barking out a laugh.

My mouth gaped open. "Oh, like I have a choice?" I grumbled bitterly.

"Yes, you do" he remarked pointedly. "You always have choices, Kim."

I didn't know what to say. I didn't understand him. So I just watched in silence as he ate the last of his casserole.

"For example…you could ask me a real question instead of dancing around the topic" he suggested finally. "How 'bout it? Wanna try?"

I swallowed nervously. "Um…"

"I'll give you one free question. Ask me anything you want, Kimmie, and I promise I'll answer truthfully. Just make sure you don't ask a question you don't really want an honest answer to."

I was dumbstruck. "Anything?" I squeaked.

He nodded. "Anything, sweetie."

_Why'd I instantly feel so much better when he called me sweetie?_

A myriad of questions raced through my head! _Why did his eyes turn yellow? Why in the world did he think he liked me? Had Jared told him what happened between us? How long had it been since he was tested for STDs and could I get a copy of the test results? Where had he learned so much about hymens? When would I stop being sore so we could have sex again?_

"Where'd this casserole come from?" The complete waste of a question that suddenly and randomly flew from my lips surprised me.

He snorted; clearly amused that was the best question I could come up with as well. "Jared's mom left a big cooler on the front step filled with food. I put the food away and left the note from her on the kitchen counter for you."

"Oh, my god, really?" I asked in girlishly giddy disbelief. "Sandra Cameron?" I spoke her name in wonderment like she was a celebrity. Paul looked at me like I was nuts as I jumped up and skipped over to the counter, retrieving the note and tearing into it with glee. It was written in her neat, bubbly cursive writing, the "i" in "Kim" dotted with a cute heart.

_**Dearest Kim,**_

_**Welcome home, sweetie! Just in case you haven't had time for a proper grocery shop since getting back to town, I'm sending along this care package with Jared. Looking forward to seeing you and catching up real soon! **_

_**Hugs & kisses,**_

_**Sandra**_

I re-read it five times before clutching it to my chest and squealing with delight. Placing the note carefully in a safe place next to a stack of coupons, I flitted gaily back over to the table to find Paul gaping at me. I was humming happily to myself as I sat and took another bite of casserole, savoring the flavor all the more now that I knew Jared's mom had made it for me.

"What the fuck, Kim?" Paul finally blurted. "Jared's mom making you some fucking hamburger helper casserole shit is like winning the fucking lottery to you?"

"It is not hamburger helper!" I defended. "It's good casserole. You said so yourself!"

"Yeah, but I eat anything…especially when I'm starving" he argued crossly, clearly disturbed by my excitement over Sandra's care package.

"So" he eyed me curiously, "is it just because your prince Jared sprang forth from her womb that you worship the bimbo?"

"She is _not_ a bimbo!" I protested. "She's amazing! She's the most amazing and all around perfect woman I've ever known!" I gushed. "I've always looked up to her" I confided.

"_Really?_ Sandra Cameron?" Paul balked. "You think _she's_ perfect? _She's your fucking role model?_" He sounded horrified.

I nodded hesitantly. _What in the world could he possibly have against Sandra Cameron?_

"Do you even _know_ Sandra Cameron?" he questioned, still flabbergasted.

"Um…yeah…she was my Brownie troop leader when I was nine" I offered weakly as evidence.

"_And?_" Paul pressed.

"And, I've been her volunteer helper at the library at school for the last eight years" I added as further support. _Wow, I sounded like such a loser. _

"_And?" _Paul questioned. "I still don't get it? What is it you like about her so much?"

"Um…well, she ah…always looks perfect and beautiful, for one." I realized how idiotic and superficial I sounded after the fact. "And…she's always nice and…polite…to everyone…and…upbeat…" _Geez, there was so much more to her than how I was expressing it. _ "She bakes cookies…and pies…and brings them in to the staff…" _Oh, wow, I was floundering miserably! _The look on Paul's face said it all. "And…_and_…she brought me this casserole and food because she's so thoughtful and generous…"_ That was a good example! _"And…and…"

"_And_ you've always wanted to be a Stepford wife too when you grow up?" Paul mocked rudely.

_Oh, well that's just typical! _

"Just because a woman is nurturing and chooses to be a great homemaker type doesn't make her a Stepford wife, Paul!" I shot back.

"No, it doesn't" he agreed. "I have no problem with homemaker types, female or otherwise, Kim. I have an issue with setting a bad example by painting a creepy false impression and imitation of a perfect home life while your marriage is a joke for all the reservation to see" he muttered dryly.

"What?" I squawked. "What are you talking about?"

"Come on, Jared's dad sleeps around on his mom constantly. Been doing it for years."

"What?" I squealed. "That's absurd! That's nothing but a vicious rumor!" I defended.

"Actually it's common knowledge, princess! Half the rez is convinced Embry's his illegitimate son…_Embry_ included."

I was stunned. _Wow, poor Embry. Poor Sandra. Poor, poor Jared!_

"Does Jared know?" I knew it was a dumb question as soon as I asked it.

Paul rolled his eyes. "Baby, Jared's a little clueless sometimes, not a complete ass. Of course he knows."

"_Well_…" I felt compelled to defend my idol, "_IF_ that's true, how is any of it _her_ fault?" I blustered.

Paul sighed. "It's her fault for staying…for looking the other way and letting it continue."

"She has a child!" I reasoned. "How can you possibly fault her for doing right by her family? If what you claim is true, that makes her even more of a saintly woman for putting on a brave face and doing the right thing."

"You're fucking delusional, sweetheart. I fault her for being a phony prancing about town like nothing's wrong." He leaned across the table close to my face. "For giving impressionable young Brownie scouts who hated their own mother reason to idolize her perfect miserable life" he stated pointedly.

If I was stunned before now I'd gone into shock. _Why would he say that? How would he ever know that? I'd never told anyone…never even admitted it to myself. How? _I felt the tears burn my eyes and my vision started to cloud over as Paul continued his rant.

"Jesus, with Sandra as your role model no fucking wonder you convinced yourself you were in love with the one person in the world who never even noticed you existed! Not so ironic you picked her own son who's had the best role-model for a cheating father a kid can have. Why didn't I see it before? You and Jared are the perfect couple" he gritted sarcastically.

"How? Why? Why would you say that?" Tears escaped my eyes and rolled down my cheeks as I struggled with the English language. "About…_about my mom?_ How? _What?_ It's not true… I _never!_ That's just not true! You're crazy…"

He looked somewhat contrite, but held his ground. "I'm sorry" he whispered, his brows knitting together. His hand reached across the small table to cover mine where it lay lifelessly next to my fork. "But I don't want a Stepford wife, Kim. I don't want you to be like Sandra Cameron. If you lie to yourself about your mom… about your real feelings, you end up lying about who you are. Look at yourself, inventing and managing all kinds of relationships in your head that don't exist…just because it gives you some small sense of control and false sense of safety in a world that scares you."

_Why of all the…? What? The. Fuck? _He picked my hand off the table and caressed it gently in his.

"I understand, baby. You wanna keep your heart safe. I get it. It hurts giving it to the wrong people when they disappoint you and stomp all over it. But you think you can really pre-determine and map out the course of your life by doing the same with a relationship in your head? It doesn't work that way, honey. There's another actual person involved. You can't really know someone if you've already decided in your head who they're going to be to you. That's not loving someone, Kim. That's setting yourself up for disappointment…or a lifetime of denial."

_Jesus, what the fucking FUCKITY FUCK FUCK? Now he was a goddamn psychoanalyst as well as a gynecologist? _

"You're an asshole!" I screamed, wrenching my hand from his grasp and leaping up from the table. "You don't know anything about me or my mom." I stared him down with bleary eyes, my face flush with shame and anger, my chest heaving up and down. "And you're just jealous of Jared!" I accused spitefully.

He stood slowly to his full height, towering above me as he stepped around the table and toward me menacingly. He looked angry. I automatically took a step back. And then another.

"Jealous?" He grabbed me firmly by the upper arms, preventing me from backing away any further. "Why would I be jealous of Jared when I already have everything he wants?" He glared cockily down at me, his fingers flexing and squeezing around my biceps until I winced. He relaxed his hold then, rubbing his hands soothingly over my sore muscles. "And I'm keeping it." He promised, his eyes scanning possessively down my body and back up to my face. "You're mine, Kim" he breathed hoarsely.

My teary eyes widened in disbelief. "You arrogant prick. You don't fucking own me! I don't even like you." I swallowed hard, mustering up every ounce of reckless courage I possessed. "I don't care what happened this morning between us, it's never happening again! _You got that?_ _NEVER_ again!" I screamed in his face at the top of my lungs. "You're just jealous because I love Jared."

He laughed right in my face. "You don't love Jared."

I shook my head aggressively in denial of his words. "I DO to!" I shouted like a petulant child.

"You don't, Kim" he assured sagely. "You don't even _know_ him."

"You don't know anything about my feelings for Jared!" I shouted and actually stomped my foot. "And you know nothing about my relationship with my mother." I broke down in a fit of hysterical sobs.

Paul drew me into his arms, tucking me against his warm, bare chest and rocking me back and forth. "Shhh… s'okay, baby….let it all go." His fingers stroked through my damp hair as my tears rolled onto his chest. "You can know _me_, Kim." His lips brushed against my crown. "And I think, if you let yourself, you could love me" he murmured softly.

"No" I shook my head against his chest. "I don't want you" I grumbled harshly. "And n-nothing's ever… ever happening again between us" I hiccup promised again.

"Mm…" he kissed the top of my head. "I don't suggest you lay money on that empty threat, sweetheart" he chuckled softly.

_Bastard!_

"You…you're nothing but a hypocrite" I attacked, pushing against his chest in an effort to disengage myself. "You judge Jared for his father's behavior when you're the one who whore's yourself around town" I spat at him. "What makes _you_ so much better than him, huh? And…and what about your own father?" I countered viciously. "Maybe you're just jealous because _your_ mom obviously didn't love you enough to stick around with your cheating father like Jared's did!"

I knew it was a cheap shot. I knew I was aiming below the belt. But he'd struck a weak spot with my mother no one else had ever touched on before, leaving me open, painfully raw… and completely livid. I felt his hard body tense next to me and my heart skipped a beat. I slowly stole a glance up at his face, suddenly terrified I'd pushed him too far. His hard features had formed into an emotionless mask, which made me even more petrified I'd crossed some perilous line.

"Tell me" he asked silkily, his fingertips tracing from my ear down my jawline, tipping my chin up to meet his hard eyes "what you think you know about my mother, Kim." He looked dangerously calm. I swallowed and almost choked over the sudden dryness in my throat.

"Nnn-no-thing" I stammered pitifully under my breath.

He tsked tauntingly. "Obviously you heard some good gossip, Kim. Indulge me."

I shook my head, just barely, in response.

"Don't make me ask you again, Kim." He warned flatly, raising his other hand to cup the opposite side of my face, trapping me within the hold of his penetrating gaze. "I don't like having to punish gossipy little girls" he remarked glibly. S_hit. Was he for real? He looked deathly serious. What would he do? Fuck, why'd he have to be so dark and scary? _

"I'm s-sorry" I whispered, my mouth as dry as the Sahara. My eyes darted nervously about, trying to avoid his as I rambled and stuttered like an idiot. "I…ah…I…just heard…well, um…people….people say that er…the apple doesn't fall…fall far from the tree…with…uh…with regard to you being….um…being…a player…is all." His face remained impassive, his black eyes ominous. My heart couldn't have pounded any faster had I been sprinting.

After a moment the corners of his lips quirked and a low chuckle resounded deep in his chest. His eyes softened as he looked adoringly down at me. "Fuck, you're just too easy, sweetheart." He shook his head. "How have you survived this long being so gullible all the time? You're cute as hell though when you're stammering and scared out of your wits, know that?"

He erupted into a full blown roar of laughter as I regarded him with eyes widened in shock and renewed irritation, my jaw going slack.

"Really, babe?" He teased. "What did you imagine I would do to you, huh? How many times do I have to reassure you I'd never hurt a hair on your sweet head?" He chuckled.

_What the hell? He was a frickin demented psychopath! And I was getting sick and tired of my emotions being volleyed about like a damn ping pong ball. _

"You're insane, Paul...a certifiable weirdo. Do you realize that?" I bristled in exasperation.

His lips pushed out into a pout. "Awe, now you're just being mean, honey." He shook his head in mock hurt before bending his head to peck me on the lips. "Why're you always trying to hurt my feelings, baby?" His lips pressed against mine again. "Hmm?" I didn't have much of a choice in the matter as his hands still held my face captive…_not that I really minded, exactly._ His warm lips felt good on mine and his smell had been driving me crazy for the last ten minutes anyway.

"Would you like to know about my mom, Kim?" He asked between kisses. "Or do you prefer to believe town gossip?"

"Um…well…if you _want_…if you want to tell me?" I answered hesitantly.

"Not what I asked, angel. Do you want to know?" He enunciated.

I nodded.

His hands abandoned my face in favor of my waist and I found myself suddenly hoisted effortlessly onto the kitchen counter. Paul leaned in so that we were eye level, his hands braced on the countertop on either side of me. He released a long breath.

"Well, my mom was the scandalous cheater" he announced to my complete surprise. "Ran around on my dad something absurd back in Tacoma. Always had some story or lame excuse and my dad would take her back time and again. He really tried to make things work with their marriage, but she wasn't exactly committed to either of us." He spoke matter-of-factly, as if he had no emotional connection to the information he was imparting. But I could imagine how much that must have hurt him as a little boy, thinking your mom didn't care. Believing she wasn't committed to you as her child.

"She'd go off with friends or new lovers and I wouldn't even see or hear from her for weeks at a time." He shook his head, looking past me and off into space for a pause. "She's a real piece of work, my mom. Definitely _not_ the nurturing homemaker type" he added sarcastically after a beat.

For a fraction of second, Paul Lahote actually looked lost. He looked unsure. Not the cocky portrait of a dominant alpha male he always appeared to be. And I immediately wanted to comfort him. I wanted to wrap the lost, sad little boy in him up in a hug. I settled for placing my hand atop his on the counter. "I'm sorry" I whispered so low I was surprised when his eyes shot back to mine in indication he'd heard me.

His black eyes were unreadable. I couldn't guess what he was thinking or whether I'd said the wrong thing. His hand slipped out from beneath mine on the counter and I felt a pang of rejection before I was distracted by the stimulating sensation of his fingers which had moved to trace absently around my bare knee. His dark eyes never left mine as he continued his story.

"Eventually my dad grew some balls and left her, taking me with him and moving us here when I was nine." His other hand joined the first and I allowed them to casually draw my legs apart as his fingers caressed and kneaded up the insides of my thighs. I bit my lip and struggled to keep my eyes open and focused on his amid the intensely arousing massage I was now receiving.

"My mom never fought it. Never asked for shared custody or even visitation rights in the divorce." He continued conversationally. I was wet and quivering by the time his fingertips brushed up against my center over my shorts, finding my tender sweet spot and stroking it delicately, as his eyes burned into my half-lidded ones, intently watching my every response to each light stroke of his fingers. His lips curved into a slight smirk as I inevitably choked out a whimper I could no longer suppress. "I suspect since she'd allegedly moved on to some new guy with money at that point and didn't need my dad for any piddly alimony or child support." He droned on dispassionately as if he wasn't causing me to literally melt onto the counter.

I felt oddly inappropriate on so many levels. My thin cotton shorts were now soaked with the evidence of my desire as I clearly felt the cool kitchen countertop where I chop vegetables and prepare food pressed up against my dampness. Paul was casually unraveling the sordid tale of his cheating, abandoning mother and her callous actions which certainly would have scarred any young child, as if he was discussing the weather. My brain was fighting desperately to absorb every detail he revealed, knowing how important and rare this sharing of information likely was. My heart was aching for him, empathizing with his traumatic childhood experiences. I longed to console him and explain that I understood…that I could relate in a way. But my heart and mind were swiftly being overruled and shut down by the powerful organ between my legs.

"In the end we were basically both losers to her, not really worth her time" he concluded succinctly. The inherent pain and devastation such a statement could only possibly hold bit at the back of my eyes. I wanted to weep for the child Paul had been. Wanted to go back in time and reassure him he was no loser, that it was his own stupid mother's loss. His hard, distant eyes seemed to soften slightly as they watched mine glaze over with moisture of unshed tears. Before any tears could spill over though, Paul's hand slipped higher and dove swiftly under the stretchy waistband of my shorts. I groaned with pleasure as his fingers danced teasingly over my wet folds. The impulse to cry vanished, replaced by desire, and I was panting and moaning restlessly as my eyes squeezed shut, my head falling forward as my fingers gripped onto the edge of the counter for support.

"I was angry and bitter for a long, long time…still am a bit I guess. So yeah, I've been with quite a few girls…definitely a lot of women. But I never lied to any of them, Kim." His thumb played too lightly over my clitoris to draw satisfaction, as his finger tapped against my wet opening, refusing to enter me like I wanted it to. I whimpered in frustration.

"I never led any of them on or made them think I wanted more than something strictly physical and temporary. Way I see it it's their problem if they can't take me at my word. I won't be a liar or a cheater like my mom." White-knuckling the edge of the counter, I rocked into Paul's evasive fingers, wantonly scooting myself forward in a desperate, pathetic attempt to get them closer…to feel them press harder against me…inside of me. To my dismay he simply moved them further away as I pressed forward. _Gah!_ My head slumped forward even further in defeat until my forehead rested against his chest, my dark hair creating a veil on either side of my face.

"Please? Please, Paul?" I softly begged his chest as I continued to inch myself forward until I was perched almost at the very edge of the counter.

"And I guess…through all my experience, seems I've gotten pretty good at what I can do to a woman's body" he commented stoically, "…reading what it wants…knowing how it works." I practically sobbed in frustration at his words. He seemed to take pity on me and finally, albeit painfully slowly, he began steadily pressing his finger blissfully inside of me; my still sore, swollen insides gripping and welcoming him eagerly. I released a breath which came out more like an embarrassing shout of relief, opening my legs wider in invitation.

"I knew eventually I'd settle on one, and then that _one"_ he emphasized as he pressed inside me to the knuckle. _Oh god oh god oh god…so close…just a little more please…_ "would be hard pressed to _ever_ fucking wander like my mom did…knowing that _no one_…" his thumb pressed firmly against my clitoris, causing me to pant out an "oh, god, yes!" as I teetered closer to the brink. "_NO ONE_" he growled closer to my hair covered ear "…will ever be able to do to her body what I can." His finger twisted halfway inside of me as if he was about to curl it toward my front. But just as I was sure he was about to push me over the edge into oblivion, he stopped, cruelly withdrawing his thumb and his finger from inside me. The sound of my elastic waistband snapping back into place as he hastily removed his hand from the inside of my shorts was deafening. It might have been the most painfully disappointing sound I'd ever heard.

"So..." he drawled seamlessly "you just let me know if you change your mind about letting me touch you again, okay?" I was taken aback, yet oddly, too numb with unparalleled disappointment and humiliation to cry or put my frustration into words.

_He'd schooled me yet again. And I'd eagerly walked right into it! _

I wanted to hate him more than ever for it, but somehow I couldn't. Somehow I understood now. Understood his need for sexual control and dominance the way he'd so aptly identified my need for control over my heart.

He pressed a hand to my shoulder, gently pushing me away from where I had buried myself in his chest. He steadied me back into an upright position as I felt, and in my periphery saw, him step back and away from me to lean against the opposite counter. I raised my hapless eyes just in time to see him lick his finger that had been blissfully buried inside me only moments earlier. I was speechless. His eyes were smoldering, but his features remained fixed into an emotionless mask.

"I want more than just to get you off, Kim. I want you…_all of you_. I want your trust. I want your friendship. I want your whole heart." I focused on breathing in and out as I listened to him list off all of the things I knew I could never give him. "I'll give you some time to get your head on straight. But don't think for a second I'm gonna let you go, Kim."

A violent shiver ran down my spine at his brazen promise.

"I mean it, Kim. You belong with me, and you know it."

I stared into the depths of his dark, beseeching eyes, wanting to lose myself in him. _Aw, hell!_ In that brief moment I wished fervently that I could really give him everything he wanted…but it was impossible.

"Fuck!" he suddenly and unexpectedly swore under his breath, rolling his eyes. "Jared's here" he announced in irritation.

My brows furrowed in confusion. _What? What did he mean Jared's here? _Not a second later there was a swift, sharp rap at the front door.

Paul's eyebrow shot up and he smiled broadly at what could only have been a riotously befuddled expression on my flushed face. "Ready, sweetheart?" He inquired with a chuckle, adding "I have a feeling you're about to see Jared's eyes turn yellow again." My brows furrowed further in disbelief and he winked.

"C'mon in, honey, door's open" Paul sing-songed in the general direction of the front door, but without raising his voice above normal speaking volume.

Oddly enough, the door flew open in response and I almost fell right off the counter as Jared raced into the kitchen. My mouth hung open in shock at his ability to seemingly materialize out of thin air at Paul's prediction.

As if the situation couldn't get any more bizarre, Jared rushed at me, his hands drifting up and down over every square inch of me in much the same manner Paul's had earlier when I'd fallen getting out of bed. Paul growled noisily from where he was leaning not six feet away against the opposite counter. _Jesus, if I hadn't known better I would have sworn there was a tiger or bear or some other large wild animal in my kitchen. He was so weird with all his growling!_

Jared didn't even seem to notice Paul's growling. "Kim, sweetie, are you okay?" Jared's big, brown eyes full of concern tugged at my heart, making me feel all the more guilty for the feelings I was now harboring for Paul…_not to mention the things I had done with Paul! _ I blushed scarlet in response to my guilty thoughts.

Jared inhaled deeply and his eyes widened. Then he literally leaned in and _sniffed_ at me! _What?_ I was as red as a beet by the time he pulled back to look me in the eyes. I imagined I was the picture perfect portrait of a guilty, shameless hussy. He looked angry…very, _very_ angry. I swallowed nervously, completely disgusted with myself. _I didn't deserve him. I never had. _

"I…I'm so sorry" I mumbled under my breath in apology. "I never…never meant to…" I trailed off as I watched Jared's beautiful brown eyes darken to black, then glow bright yellow. "Oh, God" I managed to breath out, my heart beating frantically.

I found some small, temporarily relief as Jared turned his freakishly yellow eyes away from me and over to Paul. I heard the distinct sound of animalistic growling again, but this time I it was coming from Jared. "Oh, dear…oh, god" I mumbled to myself.

"What the fuck, man?" Jared growled low and viciously at Paul.

Paul pushed away from the counter to stand at his full height as he squared off with Jared. "Let's take this outside, brother" Paul suggested calmly. "Not in here, okay? Not in front of Kim."

"What _**the fuck**_ did you do with my girl, _**brother?**_ **With MY FUCKING GODDAMN IMPRINT?**" He roared.

_Oh god, oh shit…oh geez! Aggressive, possessive Jared was a frickin scary Jared! Imprint? What? Was that more secret code? He was so mad he wasn't even making sense._

"Get out of the kitchen, Kim." Paul instructed in a low, even voice, never taking his eyes off of Jared. They'd begun to slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, circle one another…like animals preparing to attack. "_**Now**_, Kim!" Paul's sharp command cracked like a whip and I jumped in response, falling off the counter by way of obedience. I yelped as I hit the hard linoleum, my head smacking against the lower cabinets.

Paul was circling closest to me when I fell and he instantly crouched in front of me, never turning his back to Jared, his arm shooting out behind him to grab me about the waist and haul me to my feet before I could blink.

"Get your fucking hands off of her!" Jared ordered in a voice that made me shriek in fear from behind Paul's back. "I swear I'm going to break every last bone in your body, asshole" he promised savagely.

"Oh, yeah?" Paul taunted, backing up slowly with me behind him, his arm still banded around my waist. "You're welcome to try" he goaded "but I'm not taking orders from you anymore."

"What?" Jared growled in disbelief. _**"I said get your fucking hands off of her now, asshole!"**_

"You stupid, arrogant, power hungry prick" Paul provoked "ever fucking occur to you I've _**let you**_remain as second in command not because you're stronger or better…but because I never wanted any more fucking responsibility than all this shit we've been saddled with already brings?"

_Oh, fuck! Forget the cheesy Telemundo soap opera, this was Sally Jesse shit right here I'd gotten myself teletransported into! The He-Man club had rankings? What? Did they rank themselves according to hotness? And what the hell kind of responsibility was he referring to? Were they all bound by some strict code to be the biggest, most gorgeous muscular hotties in the county?_

I was so caught up in the unbelievable drama unfolding before me I belatedly realized Paul had guided us backwards to the sliding door which led to the backyard when I felt his arm squeeze me slightly, gaining my attention. He quickly instructed over his shoulder, "Open the sliding doors, baby. Jared and I are taking this outside. Stay in here, lock all of the doors and draw the shades closed once we're out, understand?"

I squeaked in response, clamoring with shaky, clammy hands to undo the locks and slide the glass and screen doors open.

"Don't fucking call her baby!" Jared roared. "She's my imprint, motherfucker!

"Oh, like fucking hell she's your imprint!" Paul thundered deafeningly. "She's _**my **_goddamn imprint! You never even noticed her until yesterday. You wouldn't know your imprint from your asshole, _**Beta**_." He taunted mockingly.

"For the last time, _**get your filthy fucking hands off of her!**_**" **Jared was shaking freakishly and his pupils had narrowed to slits.

Paul laughed, "Not gonna happen, fuck face. It so happens I like my fucking hands on her…_all over her_ actually…and _especially_…when I'm fucking her. You wanna step outside and see how good it looks from inside my head while I show you who's your fucking Beta?"

Jared lost it. His entire body vibrating with anger to the point he looked like he would literally explode. _And then he did! _

In a split second Paul tossed me to the side out of the way with so much force I flew clear into the living room, falling hard onto the carpeted floor as I watched in horror as Jared exploded mid-air into an enormous, fury, fanged fucking _WOLF!_ As the beast flew through the air, growling his head off, his jaws aimed at Paul's throat, Paul released a roar of his own and he back-flipped out the door into the yard, morphing into a horse-sized wolf himself before his four paws hit the ground, just outside the doorway.

If I'd had enough fluid in me, I would've pissed my pants. Instead I settled for releasing a blood curdling scream at the top of my lungs.

**A/N - Thank you SO MUCH for reading and reviewing! :) Part II coming soon and I promise to respond to last week's reviews and questions tomorrow night! **

**P.S. Jared's not a bad guy or an asshole, as he might come across this chapter. He's just been having a hard time handling the pressure of being Beta and figuring out how to balance his human and wolf side. Perhaps someone will relieve him of that burden next chapter? We'll see...**


	9. Chapter 9  Who's your Beta?  Part II

**A/N – THANK YOU for continuing with my story! I'd like to remind everyone this is still an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE story. Please don't come after me with pitchforks when you read what I've done with Leah and Emily's characters and storylines. I assure you it's not simply random. I adore Leah and my Leah is still a badass, but I wanted to try something different with her - a little role reversal to show how she might have handled being the one her cousin Emily's fiancé Sam imprinted on. As another reminder, only Sam, Jared, Paul and Embry have phased at this point in time in my story. **

**An additional aside: Please note no imprints will be maimed or scarred for life in the making of this fanfiction. It just so happens my Sam, as a supernatural, shapeshifting alpha wolf genetically designed to be a **_**protector**_**, possesses both the control and the coordination to phase without clawing half of his imprint's face off…even when he's angry and standing too close. (Oh, Stephanie, you'll do ANYTHING to try and lure us over to Team Edward and convince us those soulless, bloodsucking, manipulative vampires are the "safe" ones for Bella to hang out with. Even throw poor Sam under the bus! **_**Have you no shame?**_**) **

_WOLVES? Jared and Paul were both…wolves? Oh, please let me still be sleeping…please let me still be sleeping…_I chanted in my head over and over again.

A flash of color flew from the front door through the kitchen and suddenly a shirtless Embry was standing in the sliding doorway looking out into the backyard in great excitement like a kid in a candy store. _Yep, I definitely had to be dreaming still. _

"Awe, _yeaaaah!"_ He bellowed enthusiastically."That's what I'm fucking talking about!" Embry cheered from the sideline, clapping his hands and whistling over his fingers like he was watching a football game. My odd angle on the floor didn't allow me to see the action outside between the wolves once they'd cleared a few feet past the doorway. I wasn't sure I wanted to see it anyway. The terrifying sounds of growling and snapping jaws were enough to leave me shaking like a leaf and on the verge of a full scale panic attack. _I would have to be hospitalized and locked in a padded cell after this. _

"_Em...bry!_" I whisper-shrieked, my voice cracking. His head snapped around, his eyes widening as he took in my condition on the floor.

"Ww…_wolves?_" I whisper shouted again. My voice was completely hoarse.

"Uh…yeah…" Embry nodded solemnly. "But it's not as bad as it looks, Kim!" He hastened to assure me.

I choked and sputtered, merely attempting to breathe.

"Awe, fuck…" Embry's head jerked back and forth from me to the action in the backyard, seemingly torn. "Shit…right…um…" He took two steps towards me, then a loud snarling sound outside had him turning back to the yard. "Ah, hell yeah!" He shouted to the backyard. "Nice one, La-_hote!_" Then he seemed to remember me again and returned his attention.

"Kim, uh… are…are… you okay?" He asked calmly, tilting his head slightly in order to catch my line of vision from my almost completely horizontal position on the floor, my upper body propped up slightly on my elbows. A loud howl jerked his attention back to the yard. "Oh, shit! Oh, hell! No fucking way!" He turned back to me to deliver his commentary. "Jared just fucking slashed into Paul's ribs something fierce!" He clutched his arm around his own ribs as he turned back to the action. "Holy fuck, that had to hurt!"

I thought I might be sick as I threw up a little in my mouth then swallowed it. _Ugh, gross! Damnit it __**was**__ Hamburger Helper casserole shit…I could taste the distinctive seasoning packet. _

"Oh, no he just _didn't!_" Embry's bellow of delight coincided with another howl of anguish. "Ah, shit, that was classic!" Embry chuckled to himself. "Tough fighting on three legs isn't it, Cameron!" He taunted, shouting into the backyard; then muttered "_asshole_" under his breath.

I covered my mouth with my hand, praying the burn of cheap seasoning and MSG at the back of my throat would dissipate before I heaved.

"Shit this might actually be a tight call because honestly, Paul'd win hands down any day on strategy and sheer strength but now you got Jared fighting like he's lost his damn mind he's so pissed. That's a wild card right there…all bets off, man!"

_What the hell? Was he actually talking to me? Did he think I really wanted to hear this shit? Did he just call me "man"? _

"_But_…now Jared's got an injured hind leg. _And_…Paul's notoriously good at mind fucking you till you don't know which way is up."

_Huh? That sounded vaguely familiar. _

"And yeah…" he turned and took a long whiff in my direction "from the…uh…smell of things, Paul's got a lot of mind fuck material to work with out there. '_Course_… that could backfire as well…" he considered after a pause.

_What was he talking about? Damnit was the whole reservation on crazy pills? _

"Fuck…either way I'm betting on Jared's ass going down. The stakes are too high for Paul now. Shit, I fucking hope Jared's going down."

"_Whahellagon_?" I somehow managed to squeak out. My lungs felt painfully constricted, I could barely get enough air in.

"Huh?" Embry turned back to me. "Uh…Kim?…" Another horrible snarl followed by a howl of pain tore at my gut. "Now that was a badass move right there!" Embry's voice lifted in glee again.

My vision was narrowing. I was trembling so hard my elbows collapsed beneath me and my face planted into the carpeting. _Oh, fuck, I was dying. _I felt a strange numbness in my arms and hands._ My god, I was having a heart attack! _I tried to breathe and wound up choking and wheezing into the carpet.

"Oh, shit! Oh, fuck!" I was sure Embry was still commenting on the wolf fight but then I felt warm strong hands grab me underneath my armpits as my face and upper body were lifted off the carpet. My field of vision was still strangely tunneled as I struggled to breathe and keep my eyes open while Embry effortlessly picked me up and arranged me into a seated position on his lap on the couch. My back was to his front and he folded me over, forcing my head between my legs.

"Calm down, Kim!" He instructed in a not so composed voice of his own. I still couldn't breathe. My chest felt even more constricted now with my head between my legs. I could sense Embry panicking and it was making it even harder for me to calm down. "Exhale, dude!" he ordered. _What? I still couldn't even get air into my lungs. Did he call me "dude"? _

"You gotta fucking _exhale_!" he insisted, his big palm smacking hard against the center of my back, knocking the air from my lungs. I hissed in pain at the sting from his hand, sucking air easily back into my lungs in the process. "That's it" he grabbed me by my hair and pulled my head back up "you gotta remember to breathe out, okay? That's the whole trick with a panic attack…you can't keep trying to breathe in when you haven't exhaled, okay?" I nodded feebly, my back still smarting.

"Exhale, exhale!" He yelled in my ear a moment later. "You're still not fucking exhaling" he groused. I opened my mouth and released a big "haaaaa" sound, scared shitless he was gonna whack me in the back again if I didn't exhale.

_Wow, he was right! _ It was as if my natural, unconscious ability to breathe in and out had been disabled. But the more I focused on exhaling before I inhaled, the better I was feeling. _I wasn't having a heart attack after all. _

"You got it, man! Just like that." Embry chuckled in relief, patting me on the shoulder in approval. "You're a fucking natural."

Just as my own patterned distress response fit of relieved-I'm-not-dying-yet-beyond-frickin-anxious-I-just-lost-my-virginity-to-a-werewolf giggles were about to bubble forth, another enormous, shirtless He-Man hottie burst into the living room, looking angry enough to kill someone.

I abandoned my classic patterned distress response in favor of screaming bloody murder like a fucking banshee as he bounded towards Embry and me on the couch. The He-Man jumped back, clapping his hands over his ears and staring at me in horror.

"Jesus fucking Christ, is this the imprint?" He glared at me in question. "Put a damn gag in her mouth or something before the whole neighborhood shows up! What the fuck is going on, Embry?"

"_Hello?_ You just scared her, Sam!" Embry scolded. "What'd you expect? Can't you see she's in the middle of a panic attack?"

Sam's brows furrowed into an incredulous scowl, clearly taken aback at Embry's reprimand. _That was Sam Uley?_ _Founder of the He-Man club? Wow, he sure looked different from how I last remembered him when I was a freshman and he was a senior. _

"_Exhale_, Kim! _Exhale!_" Embry's command brought me back to task just as I was starting to wheeze again. Then he returned to chastising Sam.

"This is like the makings of future PTSD shit I'm over here trying to deal with and you rush in looking like some crazed, shirtless psychopath who just crawled out from under a rock, scaring the shit out of her."

"Okay, fine, fine!" Sam threw his hands up in defeat, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "But figure out a way to calm her down and keep her fucking quiet, you hear? _That's an order!" _ He growled. "I gotta go keep those two idiots from killing each other."

"Yeah, yeah…no problem, boss." Embry placated as Sam's imposing figure flew out the back door in an inhuman flash a moment later.

_They were all werewolves? The He-Man club was really a werewolf club? Oh, god, even sweet, introspective, innocent Embry was now a werewolf too? _I stiffened in his lap at the realization, abandoning breathing entirely.

"Exhale, Kimmie! EXHALE!" Embry thundered, whacking me on the back again.

"_Owwwww!_" I shouted in pain, tears bursting from my eyes in response to the sting. _Jesus, I was going to have a welt on my back now to go with the bruises along my lower spine! _

"Oh, shit! I'm sorry, Kim. I didn't mean to hit you that hard! I'm so sorry…I just want you to breathe" he apologized sincerely, rubbing his hand gently over my abused back. "Fuck! Now if Paul doesn't bump Jared as second, Jared's gonna beat my ass again for sure!"

"S'okay" I sobbed.

"Shit, it's not okay! I'm really sorry. Do you want some ice? Or...something…for the pain?"

I shook my head and tried to get a hold of myself. The crying was interfering with my progress at breathing again.

"Wait! I got an idea!" Embry exclaimed, shifting me off his lap and carefully depositing me next to him on the couch.

He knelt in front of me on the floor, taking my hands gently in his. "Listen to me, Kim. I need to leave you alone for like 60 seconds. Can you handle breathing by yourself for that long?" The absurdity of the question which he'd delivered in complete earnest was not lost on me. "I promise I'll be back in one minute, okay?"

I shook my head, squeezing his hands tightly, panicked at the thought of him leaving me. I knew he freakishly turned into a giant wolf too, just like Jared, Paul and scary Sam did, but for some reason he was still non-threatening, endearing Embry to me. I wanted him to stay and help me breathe. But most of all, I wanted him around in case the other scary wolves came in from the backyard.

"No go!" I squealed, followed by a breathless, pathetic "please?"

"I'll be back so fast you'll barely know I was gone" he reasoned. "I swear! And I'm gonna bring you something that'll make your back feel better."

"No" I pleaded, fresh tears springing to my eyes as another wounded howl reverberated through the backyard, making me cringe.

_What if the wolf that was Jared was injured? What if the Paul wolf was hurt? Were they really in danger of killing one another like their wolf boss Sam said? Why did I care? _ _They were ferocious, snarling, howling werewolves! _

_Oh, God, what did they even want with me? Would they eat me? _

_What was an imprint? _ They all kept calling me that. Sam told Embry to gag me after he'd identified me as the imprint! He'd ordered Embry to keep me quiet so the neighbors wouldn't hear.

_Was imprint code for next wolf meal? Was Jared angry at Paul for trying to snag his dinner?_

I shuddered as I recalled the local news stories relayed by my uncle while I was in California about people getting mauled by wild bears in the woods bordering LaPush over the summer. Several hikers had been killed! _Oh, god! What if it wasn't bears? What if it was wolves? What if it was the He-Men pack? _

Jared had been so angry after he'd smelled me. Then he'd freaked out on Paul for having sex with _his _imprint. _Was I less of an appetizing dinner with the stench of sex on me? _ And Paul! Paul had been talking about "tasting" me ever since our first encounter in the janitor's closet. _Shit, they totally planned on eating me!_

Everyone had been warning me something was different with Jared and hinting that he wasn't safe for me to be around. _Why hadn't I listened? _ _It was just my fucking luck Jared would start paying attention to me after he'd turned into a wolf and only then because he wanted to frickin eat me! _

"Exhale, Kim!" Embry aggressively coached as I started to fall into a fit of panic again. "Now inhale!" I followed his instruction. "Let's do it a few more times and then I gotta split so I can get back before the guys come in from the backyard, 'kay?"

I exhaled and inhaled along with his instruction a few more times. But as soon as I had enough air in my lungs to string a sentence together, I blurted out, "Paul and Jared!" I stopped to exhale and inhale once again before continuing. "Please! Don't let them eat me!" I begged, gripping his forearms as more tears trickled down my cheeks.

"_What?_" Embry asked, his brow furrowing in confusion. "What? _No_...no, Kim. Jared and Paul don't want to eat you." He shook his head. "I mean… not like _that_ at least" he added under his breath. "'Sides, wolves don't attack or eat humans. That's just a myth propagated by the Brothers Grimm."

_Huh? Really? Well…. what about werewolves? _

"Listen, you gotta man up here, Kim! It's only 60 seconds of breathing time. I promise no one's gonna eat you for dinner."

He grabbed the remote from the coffee table and switched the television on. "Here, just relax and watch some TV and I'll be back before you even know I'm gone." He flipped through the channel guide until he came to the Lifetime Television for Women Network. "Here, this oughta be safe and calming."

I shook my head. I didn't want to watch television. I wanted to wake up from this nightmare I was having. Embry pressed select, and my attention was momentarily diverted as I saw that _A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story,_ starring Meredith Baxter Birney, was playing on Lifetime. It was admittedly one of my guilty favorites for all time bad made for TV movies. Maggie and I had caught it on re-runs after school one afternoon years ago and we'd found it to be uproariously funny. It was almost as good as _Mommy Dearest_, but _Mommy Dearest_ would always be in a category all its own.

_Well, maybe I could watch just a little bit… _

"_Exhale_, then inhale, Kim" Embry reminded me one last time. "_Exhale_ then inhale, it's that easy." I did it a few more times along with Embry and then he squeezed my hands once more before bolting from the room and through the front door in a dizzying blur.

_Oh, God! Exhale…then inhale, I recited inside my head. Just exhale then inhale. I could do this. _I focused on the television as I continued my breathing exercise. Meredith Baxter Birney was so crazy over the top in her portrayal of Betty Broderick. Of course, the woman herself had been crazy, so I reckoned there was no other way for Baxter to play her really while she exposed her descent into jealous madness.

Embry had said they didn't want to eat me. _Could I trust him on that? What if he was wrong? _

_Exhale… inhale…exhale…inhale… _

"Back!" Embry called out as he blurred from the front door to the kitchen, filling a glass with water. _Wow, he wasn't kidding about being right back. Thank God!_

He presented a small, oval-shaped blue pill to me in his outstretched palm. "I need you to take this, Kim." He pressed the glass of water into my shaking hand, holding his hand over mine to steady the glass. I looked up at him in question.

"It's kinda like an extra strength Tylenol" he explained. "They prescribe it for back pain… and other stuff." _It did look kinda like an Aleve. _

"Come on, Kim. I'm telling you, this is gonna make you feel loads better. Just take it, okay? Please?"

_Oh, what the hell? I didn't think Embry would try to poison me and certainly things couldn't get any worse, could they?_ I took the pill from Embry's palm and popped it into my mouth while he assisted me with the glass of water.

"Good girl!" Embry cheered happily, exhaling a sigh of relief and patting me on the head.

He took my water and went back to the kitchen, grabbed a fork and the remaining casserole and settled himself back onto the couch next to me, eating straight from the 9x12 ceramic baking pan. Several minutes of comfortable silence passed between us.

"Want some?" Embry offered me the pan of casserole as he was about to consume the last few bites. I shook my head in the negative. _I never wanted Hamburger Helper casserole again._

I realized it had gotten eerily quiet outside. I hadn't heard any howls or growling in several minutes.

"So what're we watching?" Embry asked after another long period of silence.

"Mm…Betty Broderick story." I found it strangely easy to talk again. I realized I was also breathing normally without having to remind myself.

"Yeah? Any good?" Embry finished off the last of the casserole and discarded the fork and empty pan with a clatter onto the floor next to the couch.

"_Excellent!_" I gushed without hesitation.

"Really?" He questioned with unmasked skepticism. "Looks kinda dumb so far to me."

I was elated that I could actually breathe and speak again and suddenly felt super chatty. "See, Betty's this woman who supports her husband through law school working full time while raising their four kids. Then after her husband becomes like the most high-powered, wealthy attorney in San Diego, he trades her in for his younger secretary, using all of his legal skill and connections to screw her over in the divorce…or so she claims" I pointed out. "But she kinda screws herself over since she basically goes nuts and starts pulling all kinds of psycho shit, shamelessly manipulating and abusing her own kids in the process. She ultimately goes bonkers and shoots the ex-husband and new wife while they're asleep in their bed one morning."

"Sheesh...sounds like a winner. Why would you like this shit?"

"It's a true story!" I defended. "_And_, it's a hilarious depiction of the events leading up to her final mental meltdown!"

"Yeah?" Embry sounded unconvinced. "Doesn't really sound that funny to me."

"Well, I dunno…" I thought about it for a minute. _Why did I like it? It was simply hilarious, of course! But maybe not everyone could appreciate the dark humor of it? _ "I guess… I just like true stories about abusive, psycho moms."

"Huh…" Embry mused, turning his head to study me. "You're one weird dude, Kimbo Callaway."

I felt his eyes on me and turned my head to him. He looked slightly blurry, his face a bit out of focus. I shook my head in an attempt to right my vision. The only thing it did was bring my attention to the fact that my neck felt like it was melting off my shoulders. I reached my hands up to feel my neck. My hands felt so heavy. It seemed they were melting too.

"You're a little blurry, Em." I informed him. "Am I melting? I feel like I'm butter."

"Why don't you lie down, Kim?" Without waiting for my answer, Embry flipped me horizontal and onto my stomach, laying me out across the couch. I didn't resist. I didn't have the energy. _Oh, shit, that was one strong extra strength Tylenol Embry had given me! _My entire body felt completely relaxed as I allowed my bones to melt into the couch, my cheek resting against the scratchy, cheap sofa seat cushion. Embry's blurry face bent before mine, brushing my hair away from my eyes and behind my ear.

"I'm gonna take a look at your back, okay?" Again, he didn't wait for my answer as he lifted my shirt up my back, tucking it over my shoulders. I heard his sharp intake of breath and realized it couldn't be good. _Strange it didn't really hurt anymore. _"I'm gonna get you some ice, okay?" He announced more than asked, walking away from my line of vision in the direction of the kitchen.

I decided to focus back on _The Betty Broderick Story._ The television screen was slightly blurry, but I knew the movie well enough to follow along regardless. _Gosh, that Meredith Baxter Birney was a great actress. I decided right then it was one of life's great mysteries she'd never won an academy award for this role. _

Embry came back and placed some kind of cloth filled with ice cubes over the middle of my back. I felt his fingers run over my lower spine, lightly tracing the bruises I knew were there from my activities with Jared the night before.

"How'd you get these bruises, Kim?" He asked softly.

"Mm…Jared humped me too hard into the wall" I supplied without hesitation. It was weird, but I felt no embarrassment whatsoever at telling Embry the truth behind the bruises. After all, Embry was _awesome!_ He was my favorite person ever, I decided.

"_Really?_" Embry growled in irritation, muttering "fucking hypocrite!" under his breath, along with several other choice swear words.

I snickered, although I wasn't sure why exactly Embry's angry cussing was so funny to me now. "You're my favorite wolf, Embry" I told him truthfully. "Don't eat me 'kay? 'Cause then I'd have to pick a new favorite."

Embry chuckled, sitting down on the floor and stretching his legs out in front of him, his back against the couch near my line of vision but not blocking my view of the TV. "Thanks, Kim. You're my favorite imprint. But don't tell Leah, okay?"

"Who's Leah?" I asked, yawning. "What's an imprint?"

"Leah Clearwater. She's Sam's imprint" he explained. "The only other imprint we know of except for you now."

_Leah Clearwater? _ She'd just graduated last year. _I thought she'd gone off to college? _I vaguely recalled something about her having received an impressive scholarship somewhere. Leah was one of those smart, beautiful, self-possessed women I envied and admired so much. Leah Clearwater was going places in life. You just knew it when you looked at her. She certainly wasn't sticking around in LaPush. _Why would she get mixed up with creepy He-Man wolf Sam? _ In any case, Leah Clearwater wasn't the sort of gal to ever allow herself to become wolf dinner. _So maybe imprint meant something else?_

"What's an imprint, Embry?"

"It's complicated, Kim." He sighed. "Well, especially in your case it is. It's not really my place to tell you. How 'bout we let Sam, Paul and Jared fill you in when they get back, hmm?"

"Sure" I nodded "whatev". I wasn't really too concerned about it anymore. In fact, I wasn't too concerned about anything anymore. I'd have to find out where Embry got those extra strength Tylenols. I decided I should take them every day from now on.

"Are they okay?" I asked tentatively.

"Who?"

"The Paul and Jared wolves…could they have…" I hesitated over my choice of words "really _killed_ each other like Sam said?"

"Awe, no. Naw, Sam's just joking. They're just jockeying for Beta is all. Don't worry, I'm pretty sure the fight's over now."

"Beta?"

"Yeah. See, Sam's the leader, or Alpha, of our pack, since he was the first to turn into a wolf. Jared was the second one to turn wolf so he's kind of held the position as second in command, or Beta, by default. But now Paul just challenged his ass, because honestly, Jared wasn't really handling being Beta all that well. I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure Paul won and he's Beta now."

"Then what will Jared be? What are you?"

"Um, Jared will just be subordinate in ranking is all, and I'm…well, technically I'm Omega, I guess." He said the last part dejectedly, explaining "The Omega's like the weakest link in a pack. I mean, right now it's just because I'm the last to phase into a wolf" he rationalized. "As soon as Quil and Jacob phase I won't be last anymore."

"I think you're the best Omega ever, Embry!" I encouraged in all sincerity, causing him to chuckle.

"Awe, you're sweet, Kim. I'm still learning control and getting used to my new strength though. I'm really sorry I hurt your back."

"Doesn't even hurt anymore" I dismissed. "How do you know Paul won the fight?"

"Just a feeling. I dunno how to describe it really. I felt a shift of power a little while ago when I went out to get you the pill for your back. Like in a good way. Things just felt calmer… more in control."

I nodded my understanding against the seat cushion. Although I didn't have a clue as to what the fuck he was talking about. It occurred to me this might be the most bizarre conversation I'd ever had with anyone.

We fell into silence and my attention was brought back to the television. "Oh, shit, this is one of the best parts!" I informed Embry gleefully. It was one of Maggie and my favorite over the top Meredith Baxter Birney scenes where after the separation Betty Broderick breaks into the home of her ex-husband and his new wife, who now have the four kids living with them since Betty callously dumped them on the ex-husband, wanting him to know how hard it was to raise children. Its Christmas time and Betty becomes incensed as she enters the house, which she believes to be empty, and sees all the cheery Christmas decorations and the presents under the tree. Her daughter enters the room unexpectedly and Betty goes on a crazy unwrapping spree, tearing through gift after gift demanding _"Is this one for me? Is this one for me? Isn't there anything under this tree for me?"_ ultimately breaking one of the presents and then injuring her daughter as the daughter tries to stop her mother's insanely dramatic, destructive rampage.

Embry finally broke into a chuckle just as Baxter Birney went into full on crazy Betty malicious unwrapping mode. "Okay, that scene's pretty funny" he admitted.

I was snorting and giddy with my own laughter as one half-naked He-Man and two completely naked ones waltzed into the living room into my line of vision. _Oh, wow! Paul and Jared were both buck naked! _ My eyes landed unabashedly on one set of well hung cock and balls after the other. It was probably inappropriate of me, but I'd seen both of them naked or semi-naked, in Jared's case, already before. And in my present extra strength Tylenol induced state I didn't seem to have much embarrassment about anything.

"Gross, guys!" Embry complained. "Put some clothes on."

"Hotheads ripped 'em phasing on the fly" Sam commented in irritation. "Embry, run home and bring back two pairs of shorts."

"_Awwwwe!_" Embry whined, getting up from his seat on the floor. "The movie was just getting good."

I bit my lower lip as the cock my eyes seemed to want to settle on grew and became semi-erect right in front of me. _Geez, this was the worst time for my vision to go blurry!_ My eyes flitted upwards, past a chiseled eight pack stomach, bloodied ribs and well-defined chest to meet with Paul's fiery eyes. A slight smirk graced his lips. But as his gaze roamed hungrily from my face over my exposed back, his black eyes narrowed and a scowl marred his features.

"What the fuck happened to my imprint, Embry?" Paul demanded.

Before Paul had even finished speaking, Jared rushed towards me, limping slightly, I noticed. His huge cock and balls dangled dangerously close to my face as he lowered to a kneeling position in front of me on the floor. His hands brushed over my face lovingly then swept over my back. But before he could lift the ice pack to inspect beneath, Paul's agitated, deep voice sliced through the room.

"Hands off and back away, Jared!" Paul commanded. Jared growled but immediately withdrew his hands and rose to his feet, moving several feet back.

"Yes!" Embry chuckled. "I _knew_ Paul was Beta! Classic."

"Sam, he can't order me to stay away from my imprint!" Jared argued vehemently. "You need to override this bullshit!"

"He's got a point, Paul." Sam sighed wearily. "If she is his imprint it's not fair to either Jared or Kim to keep him away from her."

"She's not his fucking imprint, Sam. She's mine!" Paul asserted. "And, _I've_ already mated with her."

Jared growled at Paul's declaration. _Did he just say "mated__"__?_

"He's got no fucking claim on her whatsoever." Paul argued smoothly as he walked over and knelt to take Jared's place before me. "He didn't even know her until yesterday." He brushed his knuckles back and forth over my cheekbone. "Isn't that right, Kim?"

His smell washed over me then and my eyes rolled back into my head in euphoria. I breathed in as deeply as I could. _He smelled better than ever before._ I moaned and inched my face closer to him across the couch cushion. _I wanted to bury my nose against his skin._ I opened my heavy eyelids halfway to see Paul smiling beautifully at me. I smiled uninhibitedly back at him. He grinned until his dimple showed on his right cheek.

"Love dimple" I murmured adoringly. I didn't care that Embry, Jared and scary Sam were watching. I wasn't sure I would care if they watched us have sex on the couch should Paul decide to take things in that direction. I was definitely game, completely entranced by his scent once more. _Wow, I was becoming a complete tart!_

"Mm…I know, baby" he purred, raking his fingers delightfully over my scalp as his nose nuzzled mine. "Tell Sam you're my girl, sweetie" his fingers scratching gently in circles at the back of my head, causing me to moan again.

"I'm your girl" I whispered breathlessly. He smiled against my cheek and proceeded to kiss all over my face.

"What the fuck's he doing to her?" Jared griped bitterly. "Don't you see that, Sam? He's been doing something to manipulate her into doing whatever he wants. She loves me but she can't seem to help herself when she's with him. I saw it all in his head. That bastard fucked her right after she told him she loved _me_! I think he might've fucked her only _because_ she told him she loved me. Sick sonofabitch! She can't possibly be his imprint!"

"I love Embry!" I blurted out for no reason, then gushed "Embry's my _favorite_ wolf! He doesn't wanna eat me" I explained to Paul's confused, frowning expression. "He promised not to eat me if I took the blue Tylenol."

A throat cleared noisily from across the room. "Um…okay, so…that's not exactly how it happened…" Embry started to explain.

"What the fuck did you give her asshole?" Jared snarled. "I swear if you hurt her again…"

"Oh, _Jesus!_" Sam sighed. "Just shut up for five minutes, Jared, and stop accusing everyone of trying to hurt or manipulate your imprint."

"SHE'S NOT HIS IMPRINT!" both Paul and Embry insisted at once in stereo.

All eyes shot to Embry.

"Embry, for the love of God, please tell me you didn't imprint on Kim too!" Sam implored.

_So "imprint" was a verb as well as a noun? One could actually __**imprint**__ on an __**imprint**__? The notion was so absurd it made me giggle. Where did they come up with these silly codes? It didn't seem much thought was put into the sense or logistics of it all. _

"What? Ewe!" Embry's face scrunched up in distaste. "No, no, of course not! _Ewe!_" Embry stated emphatically, looking so clearly disturbed by the prospect I started giggling even harder.

"No offense!" Embry hastily assured me. "I'm not saying _you're_ ewe, Kim." He looked back and forth between the other three wolves. "It's just…you know, we're not like that…me and Kim. I mean…we're tight and all…but not like _that!_" He shuddered in aversion to the thought.

"O…_kay_" Sam enunciated slowly, tilting his head askance and regarding Embry curiously. "So, how do you feel towards Kim, Embry? More specifically, what's your wolf's instinct towards her?"

"Well, ah…I dunno…I guess my instinct is to just…to hang with her…like a buddy…like one of the guys."

"Interesting" Sam muttered. "Do you feel any strong protective instincts towards her though?"

"Oh, well, yeah…totally!" He looked pointedly at Jared. "I definitely feel a protective instinct to keep her away from power hungry anger management wolf over there."

"Fuck you!" Jared growled. "Protective instincts, my ass! _You _bruised her wrists. Now you've obviously drugged her and done something to her back!"

"Well you fucking made the black and blue marks on her lower spine, asshole!" Embry spat back. "She told me so herself!"

"What?" Jared exclaimed in disbelief. "I couldn't have!" He looked stricken. Then he looked beseechingly at me. "Kim, sweetheart, tell me, please? Did I really hurt you?"

"Mm…little bit" I admitted shyly, not wanting to upset him over it. A pained expression overcame Jared's features. "But, s'okay" I reassured his beautiful face "I know you didn't mean to hump me that hard into the wall. 'Sides, I liked it so much I didn't even know you were hurting me." Jared's lips curved into a rueful smile.

Paul started growling lowly next to me, his fingers ceased their delightful caress against my scalp. I turned my attention to him and quickly reassured him, "I love it when you hurt me too! You know…the good hurt when you broke my vagina in? I really, _really_ liked that!" I gushed in compliment. My favorite dimple returned to Paul's cheek as he started chuckling heartily. He resumed rubbing my head and I moaned my approval. I could feel myself getting wet.

"I'm gonna go get those shorts now." Embry announced awkwardly.

"Wait!" Sam's voice halted him. "Okay, so I'm going to go out on a limb and assume she doesn't usually talk this way? Embry? You wanna explain the blue Tylenol to us now?"

"You told me to keep her calm and quiet, Sam. She was having a panic attack and couldn't breathe right so I had to hit her in the back to get her to exhale. I didn't mean to hit her that hard." Embry looked apologetically at me. "I'm sorry, man." I giggled. _It was so funny how he kept insisting on calling me "man". _

"She was freaking out she was so scared you guys were gonna eat her for dinner" Embry continued, as three pairs of incredulous eyes fixed on me. "Seriously, she was literally crying and begging me not to let you animals _eat _her!"

I heard a soft whine like the sound of a wounded animal. It sounded like it came from Jared. My vision of the others was blocked though as Paul nuzzled against my face and neck, comfortingly. _He smelled so goddamn good! I didn't want him to Eskimo kiss me though, I wanted him to fuck me, I decided. _I could feel my panties growing damper by the minute. I heard Paul mutter "fuck baby" under his breath.

"She could barely breathe without me reminding her. I had to give her something and I figured this would help with both the back pain and the panic attack. I mean, she's a little out of it but she's doing a lot better than she was, trust me!"

"Okay, fine, Embry" Sam assuaged. "You did the right thing under the circumstances…I think. Go get those shorts and then do me a favor and call Leah? Tell her what's going on and to get her ass over here."

"What? Are you serious?" Embry's voice was panicked. "Is that a direct order? I mean, I don't have to use those exact words do I?"

"Just do it!" Sam roared. "Paul, damnit, back off and stop turning her on already! Fuck it's awkward enough in here as it is with your two naked asses." Paul grudgingly stood and backed away from the couch. I whimpered at the loss of contact just when I was starting to feel so good. But now I had an unobstructed view of both Paul and Jared's naked, impressive sex organs. I wasted no time in indulging my blurry vision. Embry was nowhere to be seen. He must have gone to get the shorts.

"I don't need Kim moaning and smelling up the place while I'm trying to think straight and figure out how the hell we all got here, wasting time while that bloodsucking redhead's on the loose trying to cross our border!" Sam was wearing a path into the old, tacky green living room carpet. "Not to mention Quil and Jacob are about to phase at any moment and no one's even watching them because we're all too busy arguing over whose fucking imprinted on Kim!"

"Wait, wait! So what'd Embry give her?" Jared persisted eagerly, causing Sam to groan and throw his hands up in defeat yet again.

"It doesn't smell like an opiate to me" Paul opined conversationally as they both started sniffing the air around me.

"Oh, fuck, she smells good" Jared groaned.

"I know" Paul concurred "tell me about it!"

"Stop it before I order cold showers for both of you!" Sam bellowed in exasperation.

"Come on, Sam, she's hurt and both of us think she's our imprint" Paul argued. "It's totally natural we need to smell and touch her and make sure she's okay. What if it was Leah that was hurt and drugged?"

There was a long pause while Sam seemed to consider this argument. Finally he groaned and rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Fine! Fine, you can both touch and scent her but just to check on her back and other places she might be hurt to reassure your wolves she's physically unharmed. _NO FIGHTING OR GROWLING_ at one another, understand? She's already scared you two were gonna frickin eat her."

"Understood" Paul eagerly agreed, rushing forward to crouch before me.

"Yeah, absolutely, no fighting, no growling." Jared followed over and knelt next to Paul by the couch.

"You both get to touch and smell her evenly, okay? Paul, you can't abuse your ranking." Sam reminded. "You either get along until we figure this shit out or no one gets to touch her" he admonished. "I'm gonna step outside and call the elders and get Billy to call the school before all four of you are hauled into detention for skipping."

I felt four large, warm hands roving familiarly all over my body at once as I heard the sliding glass door click shut. It was a little overwhelming at first as they carefully fingered and inspected every square inch of me, both of them hissing in unison as the ice pack was lifted from my back to reveal my latest injury. Someone unsnapped my bra in order to gain better access to my abused back.

I closed my eyes and lost track of who was touching me where. Their hands seemed to move too fast while my brain was functioning entirely too sluggishly. Their noses sniffed along my skin as their hands catalogued every part of me, their lips occasionally brushing against my bare flesh in the process. Every now and then the tip of a hot tongue would dart out to taste me. Oh, god, it all felt so good. _Really, really fucking good! _

I groaned as two hands ran up and down the backs of my legs, teasing up higher between my thighs each time on the way back. I remembered my dream from the night before and I began squirming and pressing my throbbing bud against the couch cushion beneath me. My panties were drenched. They were both soothing and crooning nonsensically to me. I was in a complete frenzy but they were avoiding all the key areas where I wanted their hands. Without thought or care for modesty I dragged my heavy butter hand from where it lay next to my head down along the cushion to my lower body, then attempted to squeeze it underneath the heavy weight of my pelvis.

"Oh, god! What's she doing?" I recognized Jared's voice.

"What's it fucking look like?" came Paul's terse reply. "Can't you smell her?"

"Yes, I fucking smell her!" Jared retorted. "It's driving me insane."

"Honey" Jared's voice cooed just above my face. My eyelids were gently pried open to find his beautiful face inches from my own. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

"Help me?" I entreated.

"Help you what, honey?"

"Help me come?" I asked straight out.

"Oh, fuck! Oh, shit fuck fuck!" Jared exclaimed in horror.

"Mm…it's just like my dream" I moaned.

"Oh, god! What dream, sweetheart?" Jared asked, sounding like he wanted desperately to know but was afraid to hear it at the same time.

"You and Paul…you were touching me…at the same time" I groaned as my insides fluttered at the thought.

"Oh, shit!" Jared swore. "That's fucking hot."

"I wanna come so bad, Jared." I gave him my best puppy dog eyes. "Please, help me come?" I still couldn't get my own melted hand beneath the weight of my pelvis and I was growing increasingly desperate.

"Where were we touching you in your dream, baby?" Paul's deep voice penetrated right to my throbbing center.

"Mm…Jared was stroking my front and sucking my nipples and your fingers were deep inside me from behind. I want them inside me, Paul, please?" I begged. "I wanna come so bad it hurts."

Paul usually responded well to my submissive pleading. I was counting on that trend not failing me now.

"Oh, fuck me that's hot! Oh, shit! We gotta fucking help her, Paul." Jared insisted.

"No fucking way!" Paul slammed the door on my sliver of hope. "She's drugged. She doesn't know what she's fucking asking for."

"Maybe not, but look at her, Paul. She's in physical pain!"

"Don't care" Paul stated succinctly. "I don't fuck around with girls when they're drunk or drugged."

"Let's just agree for argument's sake she's both our imprint? We can't _not _give her what she wants? Especially when she's in pain and asking us for it?"

"No, we're not gonna do it." Paul stated flatly, leaving no room for argument.

"Please, Paul?" I begged sweetly.

"I don't _share_, baby!" He groused angrily in my ear.

"Fuck, I don't want to share her either!" Jared lamented. "But just look at how fucking hot she is writhing against the couch like that, all flushed and moaning and can't even get her hand to work well enough to masturbate herself." I smiled sweetly at Jared. _He was such a nice guy! Always looking out for me._

"Christ, you know she's fucking soaked from the smell of her, Paul!" Jared pointed out. "It could just be this one time…just _once_! We'll just masturbate her like in her dream, that's all! Just to put her out of her misery. We owe her this for scaring her and dragging her into all this crazy shit."

"Fuck fuck _FUCK!_" Paul blustered in response.

He sounded like he was wavering. _I could get him to cave. I just needed to say the right words. _ _What were the right words? _ I thought about the things he'd said to me to get me to let him do what he wanted before.

"_Please?_" I begged softly. "I'm so wet, Paul. I wanna feel your fingers knuckle deep inside me so badly its hurting me."

"_Goddamnit!_" Paul cursed. "This is fucking bullshit! _NO!_" he thundered so loudly it stung my ears. "Not gonna happen!"

"What the fuck's going on here?" A female voice interrupted from across the room. I couldn't see anything with Paul and Jared hovering over me.

"Leah!" I heard the sliding door open as Sam's gravelly voice resounded through the kitchen.

_Leah? Leah Clearwater? As in, the other imprint?_

"What the fuck, Sam?" Leah's clear voice carried with authority. "You have no control over these animals!" She scolded harshly. "I walk in and find an innocent high school girl drugged and half undressed on the couch, two naked wolves hovering over her with huge hard-ons! I'm pretty sure some kind of twisted imprint gangbang was about to take place had I not walked in when I did!"

**A/N – Thank you for reading and reviewing! **

**So, I wrote a separate version of the scene with Paul, Kim and Jared where Leah doesn't interrupt and Paul eventually caves and he and Jared fulfill Kim's three-way dream/fantasy in order to put her out of her misery. I may post it as a separate "outtake that never was" if enough people are interested in reading it. Let me know. ;)**

**Next up: Kim meets Leah, the other imprint, and spends quality time with her new BFF, Embry, who can't seem to stop talking to her like she's just one of the guys. **


	10. Chapter 10 Bitter taste of Imprint

**A/N – Thank you again for all of your wonderful reviews! I LOVE 'em! ;) In case you hadn't noticed, I did post a separate outtake to Chapter 9 this week, entitled, **_**Wolf Menage that Never Was**_**, depicting what **_**might**_** have happened had Paul been more willing to share and if Leah had taken longer to arrive on the scene.**

_**Soooo**_**…I've gone and done it again…I've had to split up what was meant to be one chapter into two because Embry demands too much page time. So Chapter 11 will feature the Kim and Embry BFF development…including an interesting run-in at the supermarket with one Bella M. Swan. This current chapter picks up exactly where we left off. Kim is still loopy and befuddled thanks to the mysterious blue pill Embry gave her for her panic attack. Leah has just walked in to find Paul and Jared naked and hovering over Kim, who is laid out on the couch. **

**Disclaimer:**** Still not a self-described hausfrau who romanticizes grown men falling in love with newborn babies… **_**half "undead" babies born with razor sharp fangs, specifically.**_** Really, is there anything sexier or more appealing to a grown man than a vampire baby? Hey, we should poll a group of pedophiles who are into S&M to find out! **_**Hmm**_**…was that Meyer's target demographic when she conceived that brilliant plot twist?**

"Oh, fuck off, Leah!" Paul spat. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Watch it, Paul!" Sam reprimanded sharply. "Don't talk to her like that!"

"Fuck you, Sam!" Leah yelled. "Don't you dare fucking defend me like I'm some helpless female against big bad wolf Paul! How many times do I have to tell you I can handle myself?"

Sam groaned in exasperation, then gritted out an overly polite "_Thank you,_ for coming, Leah."

"Well I never could resist such an enchanting invitation as '_Sam says to_ _get your ass over here_'!" Leah scoffed.

"Embry!" Sam bellowed in disbelief.

"What? You didn't specify! I thought it was an alpha command?" Embry whined in his defense.

"Don't flatter yourself, Sam." Leah tittered. "I didn't come here because _you_ 'summoned' me. I came to see Kim…to rescue her from you cretins. From the looks of it I got here just in the nick of time."

Either Paul or Jared, perhaps both, started growling defensively, they were crowding my space protectively so that I still couldn't see a thing. _Oh gosh, I should probably feel all kinds of awkward right now, shouldn't I? _Well, at least I hadn't been able to get my butter hand beneath my pelvis, so I'd avoided being caught in _that_ compromising position, I mused reassuringly to myself. _Because getting caught with two naked He-Men hovering over you with big erections that persisted in accidentally dangling precariously a little too close to your face was SO much less incriminating and embarrassing? _

"Quit your growling and get the fuck away from the poor girl!" Leah screeched. "And put some damn pants on. I don't need to see your freakishly large erections all the time."

"No? Bring back too many good memories for you, Leah?" Paul taunted.

_What? Wait…what did he mean by that? Paul and Leah?_

"Shut the hell up, Paul!" Sam ordered.

"Stop defending me!" Leah complained. "I can handle these guys myself! _Ugh!_" She grunted in frustration then contradicted herself by asking, "Will you please order those two to put some pants on and get away from the couch already?"

Sam sighed. "Guys, give Leah some space with Kim and get some fucking clothes on."

"Thank you" she muttered acerbically under her breath to Sam as Paul and Jared moved out of the way, providing her room to approach and crouch beside me in front of the couch. As Leah arranged herself next to the couch, I watched, admittedly crestfallen, as Embry tossed shorts to Paul and Jared, who proceeded to pull them on and then stand a few paces away with their arms folded over their chests, their watchful eyes still on me.

Leah cleared her throat, drawing my attention away from my now disappointedly only _half-_naked wolf men. "Hi, Kim, I'm Leah" she introduced politely as our eyes met, giving me a small, sad smile. "I think we spoke once or twice back in high school? I'm the other unfortunate girl caught up in this nightmare you've just entered." Her brows furrowed in what seemed to be concern for me. Up close and even with my currently fuzzy vision which seemed to be slowly improving, Leah's delicate and well aligned features were unquestionably stunning.

"Hi" I managed to say "nice to meet you." My voice sounded strange to my own ears. Leah smiled warmly and I smiled shyly back. Despite my excessively awkward position of being scantily clad on the couch and suddenly feeling tongue tied and dopey, I was genuinely very happy to make Leah's acquaintance. And moreover, I was simply relieved to have another girl present amongst a roomful of intimidating, half-naked hot wolves.

"Em, what'd you give her?" Leah asked succinctly, tilting her head to the side as she studied me.

"Um, just a little Xanax…from Jared's mom's medicine cabinet."

"Embry?" Jared exclaimed in horror. "What the fuck, man?"

"Oh, you mean _Sandra's Corner Pharmacy_?" Leah snorted in amusement. Then she gasped suddenly as she ran her fingers delicately over my back, shaking her beautiful head of raven hair and mumbling "_animals!_"

_What? Sandra Cameron was a known pill popper now too? _I didn't think I could handle any more of that kind of information about my Brownie troop leader._ What was a Xanax? _

"Seriously guys, _NOT_ cool, okay?" Jared groused.

"What dosage?" Leah inquired casually, ignoring Jared's outburst as she bent closer to inspect my pupils it seemed, placing two fingers on the pulse point at my wrist at the same time.

"Her pulse and heart rate are both fine" Paul informed Leah with authority and a twinge of irritation.

"Since when have you cared to monitor a girl's vitals, Paul?" Leah taunted, not releasing her fingers from my wrist. She squinted as she inspected my pupils one at a time. "I thought she only had to have a pulse, period, to satisfy your interest."

Paul's eyes stared murderously at the back of Leah's head. I could sense the tension mounting between them as the room fell silent for a moment.

"Uh…just one of those blue ones I always snag for you." Embry supplied, breaking the uncomfortable silence in answer to Leah's previous question. Leah groaned and smacked the heel of her free hand against her forehead.

"_**What?**_" Sam and Jared roared in disapproval at once. Paul threw his head back and howled with laughter.

"What do you mean '_**what**__'?_" Leah blustered defensively, her face flush with anger and what appeared to also be some amount of embarrassment. "You don't think I've suffered anxiety and panic attacks since finding out I'm saddled to a pack of furry animals? Or learning that bloodsuckers are on the loose in the woods surrounding my hometown, threatening the lives of all the people I love?"

_Bloodsuckers? Now what could that be code for?_

"_Ugh!_ Christ, why can't you ever just talk to me, woman?" Sam implored despairingly.

"Fuck, who else is stealing from my mom?" Jared demanded of everyone and no one in particular.

"Because I'd rather talk to _Embry_!" Leah jabbed spitefully, whipping her head around to Sam. "He's the most _human_ out of any of you!" She assessed harshly, then confided quickly under her breath as she turned her head back towards me "Who also possesses both the ninja skills and the compassion to sneak into Sandra's secret stash of happy dolls for me."

_Did she just call them "dolls"? _I wondered briefly if she'd seen _Valley of the Dolls_, another classically beyond brilliant disaster of a film. _Hmm…_m_aybe it would be on Lifetime today?_

"Embry, you are _NOT_ to supply Leah with any pills of any sort _ever _again!" Sam ordered crossly.

"You're not the boss of me!" Leah shrieked in indignation, jumping up from her crouched position to face off with Sam.

"Well I'm the boss of Embry, so deal with it." He squared his shoulders and stared her down. "What the fuck were you thinking, Leah?"

"_Ugh!_" She stomped her foot. "You've ruin my whole life and now you have the audacity to deny me my only escape from this albatross? Sam Uley, you are the cruelest sonofabitch I've ever known and I refuse to be your stupid damn imprint, okay?"

_Leah didn't want to be an imprint? Shoot that meant it probably still was something fairly unpleasant, even if it didn't mean next wolf meal._

"_**Fine!**_" Sam shouted, his nostrils flaring. "**Don't be!**" He'd moved in closer so that not more than six inches separated their flushed bodies, both of their chests heaving rapidly in excitement.

"Fine!" Leah shouted back up into his face, her eyes blazing with defiance. But I noticed her body language revealed signs of distress. She shifted uncomfortably on her feet, wrapping both arms around her own midsection in a protective gesture.

Sam licked his lips. A small, barely audible whimper sounded in Leah's throat.

The room was silent as they continued their intense staring contest. Embry looked uncomfortable, his eyebrows shooting up to his hairline. Jared still looked irritated about his mom's pills being pilfered. Paul appeared highly amused, smirking unabashedly at Leah's growing discomfort as she continued to shift and squirm uneasily even while she determinedly held Sam's gaze.

"What time are we meeting with your parents?" Sam's deep voice finally broke the spell; his tone was soft and gentle.

"Four-thirty" Leah answered breathily after a beat, lowering her eyes finally. Sam nodded, his hand reaching out to tuck a strand of Leah's shiny black hair behind her ear. He proceeded to run his fingers slowly and repeatedly through her long, ebony tresses. Her eyes fluttered shut.

"I'll meet you there at 4:30 then, okay?"

Leah nodded, her eyes still closed.

"Thank you for coming to check on Kim" Sam continued in his even baritone, drawing an increasingly pliant Leah closer against him. Her forehead fell forward into his chest. He wrapped his arms tentatively around her and kissed the top of her head. After a while Leah's arms relaxed around her torso and she slowly wound them loosely about Sam's waist, allowing her body to sag into his until they were flush against one another. She turned her head in my direction, resting her cheek against Sam's chest as his hands ran soothingly up and down her spine. Her eyes remained closed and she seemed utterly content in his embrace.

"What do you think about the possibility of a double imprint?" Sam asked quietly after a moment.

Leah quickly shook her head against Sam's naked chest. "Couldn't have happened" she stated confidently, opening her eyes and looking at me. "I'd like to believe our ancestors, our Spirit Warriors, wouldn't be so cruel as to chain a sweet girl like Kim to those two oversexed man whores for the rest of her life."

I heard growls of indignation coming from Paul and Jared.

_Wait a minute? _ Leah said _two_… as in "_two _man whores"? But Jared wasn't…he _wasn't_…_wait a minute?_ I was so lost and it was all way too much information for my sluggish brain to process right now.

Leah just rolled her eyes at their growling. "My money's on those two buffoons mistaking wolf boners for some kind of imprinting magic. 'Sides, I don't believe in some wolfish voodoo imprinting being able to have that kind of effect on two people" she looked up at Sam pointedly, "let alone three."

"_Really?_" Paul jeered "because it sure smells like you believe in it from where the rest of us are standing."

Jared guffawed. "Yeah, you might wanna change into some fresh panties before you go do the 'ole meeting with the parents bit later" he choked out over his laughter.

"Come on, guys! Cut it out, damnit!" Sam chided in irritation as Leah blushed and began angrily disentangling herself from his embrace.

Jared and Paul continued laughing heartily at Leah's apparent expense, executing a celebratory high five as if they were the best of friends now and hadn't been threatening to kill one another or battling it out for pack position in the backyard not thirty minutes ago. _Or was it an hour ago now? Time was becoming increasingly more confusing for me to keep track of. I wondered when that blue Tylenol Xanax thing would wear off. _ Embry's was actually biting his fist, his head turned to the side and down as he attempted to stifle his own mirth.

I didn't get it. _What were they talking about? What was so funny? What was all this stuff about smelling me earlier and now smelling Leah? _

"You guys are nothing but a bunch of immature, perverted little boys masquerading in overgrown male bodies!" Leah furiously berated. "Clearly our Spirit Warriors are nothing but misogynists bent on making my life a living hell!"

_Wait a minute!_ Wolves would obviously have a very keen sense of smell, I deduced suddenly. _Wait just a minute…_ _Oh. My. God! _

"Leah, please just either ignore them or let me alpha command them not to tease or disrespect you anymore?" Sam pleaded.

"_No!_" Leah screeched, incensed. "I'm a big girl and I don't need your fucking Alpha shit to protect me." She jabbed her pointer finger into Sam's chest. "Least of all from those ignorant pups! Stop being such a damned chauvinist, Sam!"

"**I am NOT a chauvinist!**" Sam suddenly thundered in a voice that made even my over-relaxed muscles jump. He ran a hand thoughtlessly through his dark crop of hair as he glowered at her. "Fucking Christ, there's just no winning with you is there, Leah?"

If Leah was intimidated, she hid it well. She looked a bit surprised by Sam's reaction but she didn't back away from where she was standing in front of him. Just when it looked as if they were going to resume their staring contest, Leah looked down at her feet and announced calmly, "I have to go now and take care of some things or I'll be late for our meeting."

"Fine!" Sam quipped. "Then go."

"I'll see you at 4:30?" She asked softly, looking up at him through her dark lashes.

"_Yes_" he gritted out between clenched teeth.

She nodded, and oddly seemed to exhale a sigh of relief. She looked back at me and smiled kindly. "Kim, I promise we'll hang out soon and I'll give you the goods on where these assholes' weak points are…_always_ using a metal bat, _of course._" She offered gaily, adding "I learned that one the hard way." She shook her head in remembrance.

"But right now I've gotta bail 'cause otherwise I'm gonna be late for an important powwow with my folks and I'm in deep enough shit already with my mom for stealing my cousin's fiancé, dating a cult leader on steroids and basically tearing the whole family apart and shaming them before the entire reservation." She nodded sadly to herself. "Yep, that about sums it up."

"And now Sam and I," she explained "along with the help of my dad, are gonna sit down with my mom in about an hour and tell her it's actually _SO_ much worse than all that!" She erupted into a brief fit of maniacal giggles but quickly pulled herself back together. "So anyway, in the meantime, don't let these animals push you around, okay?" She glared evenly at the four wolves in the room before looking back at me and declaring, "This imprint thing is total bullshit and you don't have to buy into it, understand?"

Jared chuckled. "Hey Leah, what time's dinner?"

"Fuck you, Jared!" she retorted.

"Yeah, we didn't realize you moving in with Sam and making dinner for all of us every night was your way of not buying into the imprint." Paul teased.

"_Shut up, guys!_" Embry wailed. "C'mon, I need those dinners!"

"You know that shit's temporary until I can figure out how to stop the migraines, Paul!" She defended angrily then turned to Embry and in a sweeter voice assured, "Em, you know I'll always make _you_ dinner whenever I can."

_Migraines? What did migraines have to do with anything? Did I even want to ask?_

"Wait a minute!" Leah turned back to Sam. "Who's going to watch over Kim?"

Sam frowned. He looked as if he hadn't considered the answer to that question.

"Well, she can't be left alone!" Leah bristled. "Not while she's still doped up and in shock. The blue pills are one milligram. Given her size and fact she's never taken it before it could last up to…um… six hours… maybe even eight. I mean, it's a fairly strong dosage, but it's all relative. Sandra Dee's prescription is for up to five of those a day" she pointed out with a smirk and an eye roll.

"Would you fucking lay off my mom, already?" Jared snapped. "You're the closet addict popping stolen pills without a prescription for fuck's sake!"

Leah paid Jared no mind as she considered me carefully. "It hits you hard and fast but then the initial buzz wears off pretty well after the first few hours, so she should appear to be functioning fairly normally from an outsider perspective by this evening." She frowned thoughtfully. "'Course, she _might_ be pretty depressed and freaked out when she comes down off the high…that's uh…always been my experience" Leah admitted, wincing slightly as she looked up to see Sam's irritated expression.

"Damnit, this conversation is not over between us about the fucking pills, Leah!" he warned gravely. "Right now I'm not sure what to do about Kim though. I need the guys to watch over Jake and Quil and also patrol the border in case that redheaded bitch comes back while we're meeting with your folks."

Leah rolled her eyes again, regarding Sam like he was the town idiot. "Well, it's not like its rocket science, Sam. _There are three of them!_ Just put Paul on patrol, Jared on phase watch and leave Embry with Kim since he's the only nice one and he's not bent on shagging her brains out." Her brows suddenly knit together and she shot a look at Embry as a thought seemed to occur to her. "I mean, you're _not_, right, Em?" Leah's wide eyes begged for reassurance.

Embry was quick to shake his head, looking a little grossed out again at the thought of wanting to shag me. I giggled. It came out sounding like the cackle of the old drunk lady who frequented the soup kitchen where I volunteered once a month, causing Leah to steal a worried glance in my direction before returning her attention to Sam.

"See? Problem solved" she informed Sam smoothly.

"Uh-uh! Absolutely not!" Jared objected. "Embry's already hurt her twice now."

"So have you!" Paul adduced. "_I'm _the only one who hasn't bruised her." He pleaded his case to Sam. "Sam, I'm the one she's most comfortable with and feels the strongest connection to. I'm the one who knows her best and understands what she needs. Come on, you've seen it in my head how well I know her!"

_What was all this seeing shit in each other's heads about? _

"Bullshit! You've been manipulating the hell out of her these last two days!" Jared charged.

Paul ignored his accusation. "Come on, Sam, we haven't seen any sign of Red for days now since we chased her across the Canadian border. And Jake and Quil don't look any closer to phasing now than they did a week ago. I should be the one to stay and take care of Kim."

_Who was Red? Was she pretty? Why had Paul chased her across the border? _

"That's not fair!" Jared protested. "She's _my _imprint and he's already taken enough unfair advantage and liberties with this whole situation. It's not safe for her to be with him when she's in her present weakened condition."

Sam looked back and forth between them, seemingly conflicted.

"Oh, Jes-us!" Leah's eyes flew heavenward. "Oh, great and wise decision-making Alpha," she drawled sarcastically "why don't we just let _Kim _choose which monster she prefers to be left alone with?"

Sam shrugged and glanced between the others. "Fine with you guys?"

Jared exhaled audibly. "Fine with me." His chocolate eyes caught mine staring at him and his lips curved into a gorgeous smile. When he spoke again it was directly to me. "You know I'll take good care of you, Kim" he assured solemnly, his eyes all but devouring me as they flitted back and forth over my horizontal frame. "I won't pressure you or make you feel uncomfortable about anything. I swear it, sweetheart. You can trust me." I heard a faint retching noise and shifted my gaze to find Leah mock gagging over her finger.

"Bitch!" Jared muttered in a barely audible snarl. Sam growled his disapproval but didn't bother to correct or scold him this time, I noted.

"Paul?" Sam asked wearily.

My gaze flew to Paul. His black eyes were already locked on mine, leading me to believe he'd likely been studying me intently for quite a while. The thought made me blush crimson. _Or at least it felt like my face was that red. _ I was already feeling over-heated lying on the damned uncomfortable woven wool material which made up our hideously old, smelly couch. He smiled just barely and my stomach somersaulted. He nodded his head slowly and surely in response to Sam, never averting his eyes from mine. He didn't bother to make any promises to try and reassure me or convince me I should choose him. He said it all with his eyes, and I swallowed nervously as I read their meaning.

_Oh, dear God, I was in so much trouble! I wanted him. _I realized now I wanted him so much more than my non-blue Tylenol Xanax brain would ever freely admit._ I wanted Paul! _And not just between my legs…although that organ was chanting his name repeatedly now without pause. It dawned on me I wanted so much more from him than I was certain would ever be within my reach.

"Embry?" Sam's commanding voice jolted me out of my reverie. "You on board?"

With great effort I tore my eyes away from Paul's and settled them on Embry, who was sitting on the carpet now, diligently working to remove a splinter from the bottom of his filthy foot.

"What?" He looked cluelessly up at Sam and then at the rest of us. "Wait, what are we talking about again?"

Sam rubbed his hand back and forth over his temple. "_Kim_, Embry! We're talking about _Kim_ and who's going to stay with her and look after her. We're gonna let Kim decide who she's most comfortable with having around right now. That okay with you?"

"Yeah, yeah…sure, whatever." He nodded agreeably to Sam then looked at me, raising his eyebrow and confirming, "I'm totally cool with hanging if you want me to, man. We can watch more psycho chick TV." He grinned good-naturedly and I couldn't help but giggle again.

"Kim, honey?" Leah asked me directly, tilting her head slightly to catch my line of vision, her brows lifting expectantly. "Who would you rather babysit you?" She game show hostess gestured dramatically to the left with her hand. "Embry, the nice wolfboy who won't try to molest you?" She winked and nodded minutely but furiously at me, indicating that was the selection I should make. "Or one of those two assholes," she jerked her head to the right in Paul and Jared's direction "both of whom are known to screw anything that moves and who've been staring lasciviously at your cute ass in those short shorts this _**entire time**_" she emphasized meaningfully, then added in a conspiratorial whisper, a look of exaggerated horror marring her features, "most likely contemplating _anal _penetration."

Embry busted out laughing. "Oh, man, that's a good angle, Leah" he complimented. "So true, nothing scares the hell out of a virginal chick more than the threat of anal. Classic!" He continued giggling as he worked on his foot.

_Ewe! _ I really did not want to know about these things.

"Oh ha ha!" Jared chafed. "Go fuck yourself, Clearwater!"

"_Jared!_" Sam thundered in Leah's defense.

"Fuck _off_, Sam!" Leah countered.

"Yeah, Leah, quit projecting your own '_lascivious_' desires onto us and just tell Sam how you really want him to give it to you." Paul smirked wickedly, cocking his head to the side. "Or should _I _tell him?"

"You will _NOT_ disrespect my imprint, goddamnit!" Sam exploded at Paul. "Do you fucking understand?"

"I don't _want_ to be your imprint…or anybody's imprint!" Leah argued vehemently, raising her voice to an almost uncomfortable level. "So stop protecting me like I'm a child… or…or some kind of property! You have no right to belittle me this way!"

"Yet again, you're fucking impossible!" Sam erupted into bitter, derisive laughter. "Paul and Jared can insult and degrade you but when I try to defend you _I'm_ the asshole for belittling you? You're fucking _insane_, you know that? You don't make any sense, you just contradict me constantly simply for the sake of being contentious! It's fucking asinine."

"Oh, _really?_ Well, I'm not the one who morphs into a giant dog!" She spat viciously. "And I didn't break off my engagement in order to romantically pursue my fiance's cousin just because some wolf spirit voodoo told me to!" She began pacing back and forth across the meager floor space not occupied by oversized He-Men, wringing her hands together frantically. "Excuse me if I'm a little bitter at having my life wrecked in order for you to satisfy some wolfish, caveman-ish mating imperative!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

_Ouch, my ears hurt! _I noted in my periphery Paul, Sam, Jared and Embry all winced and covered their ears at the same time.

"Sorry if I'm upset at having disgraced my family and at being unjustly identified as the town fucking _Jezebel_ who seduced and schemed her way into stealing the love of her own cousin's life!" Tears sprang to her eyes, not enough to cry, but enough to make them flash painfully, albeit brilliantly back at Sam.

"_By all means_," she exaggerated facetiously "I shall strive to be less _**insane**_ in the future and to wear this lovely scarlet letter with which you've branded me with better aplomb, oh great _Alpha _of mine." She was breathing heavily, her eyes still moist with tears that she refused to shed. Her long jet hair fell across her shoulders in wild disarray. Her beautiful face was flushed and she bit her plump, perfectly formed lower lip as she breathed deeply in and out through her nose, attempting to collect herself as she and Sam started a new staring contest.

I couldn't help but conclude that Leah was surely the most gorgeous woman in the entire world. Certainly the most beautiful female I had ever seen up close and in person, and even more so when she was animated and unrestrainedly emoting the way she was. And at that moment, I felt like the most horrible person ever. Because rather than feel concern for Leah and the heavy burdens and struggles she was so obviously afflicted with, I just kept wondering… _Had she really been with Paul? Had they actually slept together? Had it been good? What had they done? Had he loved her? Had he said to her the things he'd said to me? Did he still love her? Did she love him? Why would he ever want me after he'd had someone as amazing and as unbelievably gorgeous as Leah? _

Before I knew it, the tears that should have been Leah's, or at least _for_ Leah, started falling silently down my cheeks, soaking into the couch and clouding my vision. It was strange, because it didn't feel like I should even be crying. I really wasn't upset. Not _really_, I mean. _Was I? _

"Well, Leah, congratulations." Paul commented drily, misinterpreting the reason for my tears. "You've succeeded in upsetting Kim, the one person in this room whose brain has temporarily been chemically altered to be immune to distress, with your dramatic tale of imprinted woe." A fresh wave of shame washed over me as Leah turned away from Sam and looked to me, her eyes widening in horror at my tear stained face.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry, Kim" she whispered sincerely in apology. "I…I didn't mean to…"

"Leah?" I was surprised, and a little jealous I realized, to hear Paul's deep voice and not Sam's, gently speak her name. "C'mon. None of us would have chosen this life for ourselves if given the choice. You know that. It's not like you're the only one in this room who's had to relinquish your dreams and desires for a greater cause; abandon your chosen path in life for the sake of protecting our people from bloodthirsty vampires."

_Bloodthirsty vampires? _I really, _really_ hoped that was code for something else.

"Leah," this time it was Sam who spoke "we're all just trying to make the best of this situation. I didn't get a 'how to for dummies' manual along with the coat of fur. I don't have all the answers. But you're right you don't have to stick around and accept the imprint if you don't want to." His face was an emotionless mask. His eyes just as black and as hard as I'd seen Paul's get before when he was shutting down, shutting me out. It was not a comforting look.

Leah nodded slowly. She looked as if she was completely lost in some dark abyss of her own torturously conflicted thoughts.

"I'll see you at 4:30?" She asked shyly after a brief pause, reaching her hands up to straighten her long hair with shaky fingers.

"Yep…I'll be there" Sam confirmed, his expression still stoic but his eyes softening.

She nodded again then turned to me. "I really am sorry for upsetting you, Kim."

"S'okay!" I surprised myself as the words flew out suddenly in my need to reassure her. "I'm fine, Leah." _Wow, I was speaking out loud again! My voice sounded rather normal and it felt totally natural too. _"I was upset over something else, anyway. Not your fault."

She smiled wide, making her look even more drop dead gorgeous as her face lit up with gratitude that I didn't truly deserve. "Thanks, Kim."

"Okay, so who's gonna stay with Kim?" Sam boomed, bringing us back to task. "Kim?" he looked directly at me in question and I forgot what we were even talking about, his intense face was so scary. _Geez, how did Leah manage those staring contests? _

"Kim, who do you want to stay with you?" Leah prompted gently.

I wanted to look back again at each of my three choices, just to buy myself some time, but I knew if I looked into Paul's eyes again I wouldn't be able to resist their overwhelming temptation. And I knew in my currently foggy state of mind, the right choice was to follow Leah's advice. Leah was probably the smartest girl I now knew, and she clearly knew these wolves better than I did. As I'd observed her tirade earlier, I'd recalled the details I'd read last spring in the local paper about her scholarship. She'd received a full ride to University of California at Berkeley, where she'd been set to study Organic Chemistry. The article had noted Berkeley was ranked as the 2nd top school in the nation for Organic Chemistry. _Yeah…I should really just follow the smart girl's advice. _She was an imprint too, after all…_whatever that meant._

"Um…could Embry stay with me, please?" I whispered awkwardly, my eyes drifting to Paul's of their own accord for some strange reason, making it seem as if I was asking Paul for permission rather than Sam. _I wasn't, was I?_ Paul's dark eyes regarded me curiously as a muscle ticked in his jaw. _Was he angry? _ _Darnit, why did I care so much? _ Then his lips curved into a smile and he mouthed the word "breathe" to me. I expelled a breath of relief, although somewhat miffed and baffled still that I was placing so much importance on Paul's approval.

"Awesome!" Embry fist pumped the air in excitement, distracting me. "I fucking can't stand being on Quil and Jake phase watch."

"Good choice, Kim." Leah smiled broadly and winked at me in approval.

My eyes floated to Jared. He looked disappointed at my decision but he smiled, albeit ruefully at me nonetheless.

"Great, it's settled then" Sam announced. "Embry, don't give her anymore pills, please. As she becomes more lucid, make sure she understands she's not to reveal our secrets to anyone. If she doesn't understand, call me or call Billy if you can't reach me. You can talk about the legends but don't get into the imprinting. I'll do that with Jared and Paul when she's fully sober. Understand?"

"Got it! You guys get going already." Embry shooed Sam off with his hand as he reached for the remote and turned the volume up. "Kim and I are missing Betty Broderick."

**A/N – Thanks for reading! And thank you to reviewers PaulLover, leo8august, Vanessa and ciderrrrr, who I am unable to PM back in order to thank.**

**Fun wolf facts: Studies of wolf packs reveal wolves prefer psychological warfare to physical confrontation, and that high-ranking status is based more on personality and attitude than on actual size or physical strength. In a wolf pack, the Alpha male **_**always**_** mates with the Alpha female. The Alpha female ultimately decides the pairing and in many cases will actually dominate the Alpha male during mating season. **


	11. Chapter 11 The World According to Embry

**A/N – Typical disclaimer nonsense and excuses for late posting: not SM, blaming work, travel and annoying corporate firewall for interfering with FF posting from the road. Apologies in advance to the Quileute people and their spirit warriors for the manner in which I have Embry sorta massacre the retelling of your legends in this chapter. Keep in mind he's only 16. No disrespect intended! A big thank you to all of my wonderful readers and reviewers! Hope everyone is well this week. **

"Sooo…we're outta food, Kimbo" Embry remarked with a slight grimace. I looked around and saw that the couch and floor were indeed littered with empty casserole dishes, chip bags, cereal boxes and Girl Scout cookie packages. We had been watching trashy Lifetime movies for nearly two hours, and Embry had been busy eating the entire time. My vision had improved and I was feeling less lethargic, but still pretty loopy.

"Really? You ate everything from Sandra?" I had barely eaten any of it.

Embry nodded, smiling sheepishly, "Yeah…sorry."

"Huh." I was slightly dumbfounded. "Well…shoot, I never had a chance to go grocery shopping. I'm sorry, Em. There's nothing else in the house."

"That's a great idea!" Embry pounced eagerly, "Let's go grocery shopping."

_What? _"Um…you really think we should?"

"Um…_ye-ah!_ I need to eat every two hours, Kim" Embry professed in great seriousness.

"O-_kay_…I just meant…well, do you really think it's a good idea for me to go out…in _public_…when I'm kinda still all foggy in the head and all?"

"Pssh! Are you kidding me? That's the best time to go out! Staying in is like a waste of a good high, Kim. Come on, it'll be awesome!"

"But I can't drive like this" I reasoned. "And I think my car's back at school anyway. I'm not even sure how Paul got us back here this morning 'cause I was passed out. But he probably just drove us here in his car. So I don't have a car" I rambled nervously "so we can't go."

"Your car's here, Kim" Embry assured me calmly. "I drove it back."

"What?" If I was honest I felt a sudden panic in my gut at the thought of getting off the couch and leaving the house.

"Yeah. Paul carried you home and I drove the car over." Embry waved his hand dismissively, "You were still asleep."

"Oh. Okay. He _carried _me?" _Paul carried me? All the way from school? _I felt myself blushing at the thought, even after everything else we'd done together. _ I was such an idiot. _

"Come on, I'll drive. Get some clothes on and let's go I'm starving."

"Kay" I agreed numbly, without budging from my comfy position on the couch. I was still a bit lethargic and more than a little apprehensive. In fact I was gripped by a sudden fear that if I left the comforting cocoon of my couch and engagingly wacktastic Lifetime dramas the reality of werewolves and the mystery of being an imprint would assault me and throw my mind back into panic. I wasn't quite ready to face the bizarre music which surely awaited me. I definitely wasn't eager for the little blue pill to wear off…and I could already sense its magic beginning to slowly wane.

Embry sighed, then scooped me up in his arms and carried me back to my bedroom, plopped me on the bed and proceeded to rummage through my closet and drawers.

"Okay, so you definitely need pants, right?" Embry stated the obvious, stealing a look back at me in my short jogging shorts.

"Yeah." I sank back against my pillows, not feeling very motivated.

"Jeans?"

"Sure." He threw the first pair he came across to me.

"Long sleeves or short?"

"Short."

"Sure?" Embry looked doubtful then pulled a long sleeved henley from my closet. "It's supposed to get cooler tonight. Better be safe and go long."

"No, no short is good" I insisted. "I'm feeling pretty hot these days." Embry snickered at the sophomoric play on words. I rolled my eyes.

"I mean…you know temperature wise and all" I clarified. "I think it's because I'm hanging out with all of you wolves so much. You, Jared and Paul… are all so hot all the time." _Had I just referred to them as wolves as if it was something totally normal to say in conversation? _

"Yep, part of the wolf thing. Our internal temperature runs at 108 degrees."

"_Seriously? _ You should be dead at that temperature, Embry!"

"Tell me about it" he chuckled. "Well, the good part is we can't really get sick anymore. Any bad bacteria or virus doesn't stand a chance of survival at that high temp."

_Huh? _Well, if that was truly accurate it would certainly be a relief with regard to Paul on the STD concern. Like Aunt Susie said, _there was always a glass half full point of view begging to be considered._

"Wow, that's pretty frickin awesome, Em" I remarked in all sincerity, staring at him in awe.

"Yeah" Embry beamed proudly, "Another bonus is that our blood circulates so rapidly and our cells regenerate so quickly we heal at a super fast rate."

"That's really great, Em" I mumbled absently. _Super, _s_o Paul really was indestructible!_ I recalled how I'd pounded my fists against his brick wall of a chest as he'd laughed over me on the couch in the coach's office that morning. _Shit, why couldn't I stop thinking about him for more than ten seconds? _ My mind wandered to the way he'd looked at me right before I'd chosen Embry to "babysit" me. For some reason I hadn't been able to stop worrying over whether he might be mad at me, even though he'd smiled at me and reminded me to breathe afterward. _That meant we were okay, right? That meant he wasn't mad? _ He wouldn't remind me to breathe if he was mad? If he was mad he would just let me pass out, I reasoned in my head.

Why did I care so much if he was angry or not? _Because he was a scary enormous werewolf that could tear my head right the fuck off with his teeth, that's why! _I reminded myself bitterly…although I knew that wasn't entirely why. The image of him flipping backwards through my sliding back door as he morphed into a ferocious growling beast would forever be burned into my retina. I tried to reconcile that vision with the images that continued to assault me of his hard, hot body hovering over mine as he thrust surely between my legs, breaking me apart and making me feel more whole than I'd ever felt before at the same time. My insides fluttered at the memory, causing me to flush all over like I was having a damn hot flash.

_Why had he done that to me? He must really hate me. But what had I ever done to him? _

I felt Embry's eyes on me and looked up to see his brow wrought with concern. "Well, I can definitely feel the heat part" I shook my head, trying to play off the fact that I was now sweating and surely looked as red as a stupid beet. "I swear it's like I've been surrounded by walking space heaters the last two days" I joked lamely, fanning myself with my hand.

Embry threw me the long sleeved henley. "Uh-_huh_. Sorry, you're still gonna have to wear the long sleeves anyway. Can't risk getting my ass beat again if someone's _alleged_ imprint catches a chill." He rolled his eyes.

_Wait a minute._ I recalled Embry saying something during my panic attack about Jared beating him for hurting me. _Was he serious? _ And there was the faint purplish bruising I'd seen on Embry's left cheek and eye this morning that was nowhere to be seen now.

"Em? Em, what do you mean? Did _Jared…?_" I inquired cautiously, not wanting to come right out and ask the question I was afraid I wouldn't like the answer to. Jared had _promised _he wouldn't get mad at Embry when I'd told him about my wrists…_he'd promised me he wouldn't even say anything to him! _

"Ah, nothing, Kimbo" Embry dismissed. "Don't pay any attention to the bitter ramblings of an Omega."

_Damnit, Jared had seemed so sincere as he'd coaxed and pleaded with me to tell him what happened! _And he'd been so gentle as he'd held me and apologized to me over and over again, stroking my hair. _After he'd broken my bathroom door down, that is. _ Well, with all his apologizing he'd neglected to mention or atone for the fact that he was a damn freakish wolf…and apparently a possessive and angry one at that.

"No, Em, I need to know!" I persisted, despite my equally desperate desire _not_ to know.

"Come on, just get dressed before I eat my own hand I'm so hungry" Embry griped, tossing me a pair of socks from my top drawer. Clearly he wanted to avoid the discussion.

"Oh, and no offense, but ah…you should probably change your underwear too" Embry advised, taking a final look in my top drawer filled with bras and panties as well as socks, before shutting it. "I'll ah…let you pick those out yourself." He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and moved to exit through my bedroom door.

"Uh…yeah, thanks for reminding me, Em." I bit out with some measure of annoyance and embarrassment. "What the heck is up with you guys sniffing out girls' privates anyway?"

He snorted from the doorway. "It's not as if I'm looking to sniff out every chick's stanky crotch, Kim. And trust me, I'd rather not smell it every time Paul or Sam gets you or Leah aroused. That's when the keen sense of smell becomes a curse." He lamented, tapping his pointer finger to the side of his nose. "That and when my mom takes a dump in the morning that could burn a normal man's nose hairs out."

"Ewe, thanks for sharing, Em." I scrunched my face up in distaste.

"Anytime" he shrugged and shut the door behind him.

I rolled up my long sleeves and switched on the air conditioning as I sat awkwardly in the passenger seat of my own car. Embry insisted we drive all the way to Forks to shop at their grocery since he was avoiding Quil right now and didn't want to chance running into him at the Ateara's marketplace in LaPush. There were so many questions running through my mind I didn't know which one to ask Embry first and aside from that I feared I didn't want to know the answers to most of them anyway.

"So… when...I mean…_how?_…how did you first become a wolf, Embry?" I finally questioned.

"Oh, you know…the usual, Oprah." He tapped his fingers along the steering wheel, tilting his head to the side for dramatic pause. "One day I just decided my life was too dull and I needed to branch out. Having been raised by a single mom I was already in touch with my feminine side, so I decided it was time to embrace my paternal canine side. Naturally I grew some fangs and fur, started running around the forest shredding vampires with Paul, Jared and Sam. You know, there being not much else to do on a rez in the summertime." He cracked his knuckles and exhaled audibly with importance. "Guess I've always been a small town kid up for a big time challenge."

He smirked at his own dorky antics, but the humor was wasted on me. _Vampires?_ Paul and Leah had both mentioned something about vampires earlier. "So, when you say _vampires_, Embry, what is that code for?"

"What do you mean, what is that code for?" he tittered mockingly. "C'mon, I know you've had vampires on your show before, Oprah, don't play coy." He chucked me playfully under the chin.

"Embry, there's no such thing as vampires!" I argued crossly, beginning to panic as I swatted his hand away.

"Really? There's no such thing as shape-shifters either, and yet here I sit in your piece of shit Corolla."

I just stared at his profile, dumbfounded. Vampires? _Really?_

"You know… the _Cold Ones?_" He glanced back and forth from me to the road and back. "Are you serious?" he whined. "Shit, Kim, didn't you ever pay attention to any of the bonfire legends the elders told us when we were kids?"

"Um…a little" I admitted stupidly. My mom hadn't been a big fan of me learning the Quileute legends for some reason.

"Well, you must at least know the legends of how the Quileute people are descendant from wolves, right? It's like our most basic tribal folklore, Kim."

"Well, yeah, duh?" I cleared my throat awkwardly and mumbled "I mean that kinda rings a bell."

Embry gave me a sidelong look. "You know about Taha Aki, don't you?"

My mouth fell open at the offense. "I'm not an imbecile, Em! He's like our most revered chief and spirit warrior." Truthfully, I only knew that Taha Aki was known as a pretty cool spirit dude, renowned for his wisdom and for preaching peace. But I never really got into the specifics. It was just silly mythos! _We were all quite obviously descendant from apes, right?_

"Okay, okay, just making sure you're really Quileute" Embry chortled good-naturedly. "So you know about how the spirit warrior Utlapa, who was kinda like the Judas of the tribe, betrayed Taha Aki while he was in spirit form and stole his body in order to take his place as chief of the tribe?" I nodded, even though nothing he'd said sounded remotely familiar.

"So long dramatic story short, Taha Aki shares the body of the Great Wolf in order to save the village from Utlapa's treachery, and after that he's able to share the body of the wolf whenever he wants to. Frickin cool, right?"

"Uh…yeah, really cool" I agreed, trying to sound like I was buying it. Even though I'd seen Paul and Jared literally transform into wolves before my very eyes, for some reason I still had a hard time wrapping my head around our nutty Quileute legends actually being real. _It was all just too much! Now he was going to throw in vampires too?_

"So there's somewhat of a lesser known legend" Embry continued "about Taha Aki's third wife and how she sacrificed herself to save him and their young sons from the Cold Woman who was attacking the village. You ever heard anything about that one?"

"Mm…don't think so."

"Well, this crazy Cold bitch goes on a killing spree in our village and the Third Wife thinks for sure it's curtains for everyone. Taha Aki's older sons had already been killed and Aki was the last spirit warrior standing. So the Third Wife stabs herself in the heart in order to distract the vampire chick long enough for her husband Taha Aki to finish the Cold Woman off. Her younger sons are so enraged over losing their mom they wolf out like their dad for the first time. Taha Aki's so upset at losing his wife he abandons the tribe to roam the forest for the rest of his life, presumably in wolf form. So, from then on it's believed the Quileute descendants of Taha Aki's sons carry this 'wolf gene' that gets set off by our great ancestor spirit warriors every time vampires are encroaching on our village, posing a threat to our people."

I was silent. _The fuck you say?_

"So in every generation in which vampires threaten our tribe, the boys who shape-shift into wolves are known as _The Protectors_" Embry pointed out proudly. "So that's like _me_…I'm a Protector" he cheesed eagerly at me. "Man, I gotta tell you, it's so cool finally being able to talk to someone else about all this shit. Makes it so much less…overwhelming, somehow."

I opened my mouth then shut it. I searched for the right words. There were none. Finally I blurted, "This is all insane, Embry! Jesus, what else should I know? I mean, how do you kill them? Is it like in the movies? Is it like on Buffy?"

Embry chuckled. "Well um…first off that whole garlic thing is a big myth- doesn't do shit. A stake through the heart is ineffective as well. You literally have to tear the shitheads to bits and then light the pieces on fire before they have time to reassemble themselves. They're basically almost as hard to kill as the Terminator T-1000 model, and slightly more irritating and creepy than that dude was."

"Are you _serious?_" My head felt ready to explode from the download of fantastical, scary as fuck information.

"Yu_p_" Embry popped the "p", nodding his head gravely. "_But_…" he considered after a pause, lowering his voice and leaning towards me, "they do have one secret achilles heel we've recently uncovered."

"Really? What is it?"

"_Jerky_" he revealed, quirking one brow.

"Say _what?_"

"They _love_ beef jerky" he shook his head. "They simply go crazy for it!" He looked at me pointedly. "They'll literally drop a carotid artery, Kim, if you throw enough Slim Jims at 'em."

"_What?"_ I shrilled. "For real? That's fucking nuts, Embry!" _Who would have imagined?_

He snorted. "Oh, shit!" He beat his fist against the dashboard, laughing hysterically. "Jesus, Paul's right, you're so damn gullible, Kim."

"What the fuck, Embry!" I smacked him in the back of his head, then winced and shook the sting out of my own palm.

"Slim Jims!" He guffawed. "Oh, fuck, I can't wait to show Paul the look on your face in my head!"

"Oh, whatever, Em! That's just stupid, it's not even funny anyway."

"Aha, you shoulda seen your face" Embry clucked. "That shit was funny!"

"Well excuse me for not knowing what's real or a joke anymore Mr. Fucking Teenwolf."

"Awe, is somebody's blue pill starting to wear off already?" He baby talked, pouting his lips at me.

"Go fuck yourself, Em" I sulked.

"Woah ho ho!" Embry shouted out with laughter. "Jesus that shit really is wearing off, huh? Damn, it usually lasts longer for Leah."

His gleeful giggling slowly died down and he furrowed his brows at me. "I guess you really were pretty well traumatized, huh?" He pouted at me again, and mussed the hair at the top of my head playfully. "I'm sorry, Kimbo."

I shrugged, still a bit rankled. "So were you just joking about them being like the Terminator 2 guy too?" I asked hopefully.

"Naw, that shit's real" he confirmed, all trace of playfulness fading from his face. "They're a real pain in the ass to dismember."

An odd, somber silence fell over us and I fidgeted nervously in my seat.

"What did you mean when you said you couldn't wait to show Paul the look on my face in your head?"

"Uh, well, we have this sort of shared consciousness thing going when we're in wolf form. Kinda like a pack mind. We can see and hear each other's thoughts. Makes us better hunters and better able to attack our prey as a team but its damned freaky intimate sometimes. You know, like it's pretty hard to keep secrets or maintain any sort of privacy between us."

_Yikes! That sounded like my very worst nightmare come true. _I'd absolutely hate to have other people in my head, hearing all my crazy thoughts and fears. _Poor Embry! _

"I mean, there's just some shit in those guys heads' I don't ever need to see, if you catch my drift." Embry blew his cheeks out, raising his eyebrows to his hairline. "Yessiree, _do not_ need to see…" He trailed off gracelessly, clearing his throat.

_Oh, holy mother! Where was another blue Tylenol when you needed one? _I closed my eyes and prayed I was still just half-baked and not accurately following Embry's explanation on this one.

"Soooo…" I inhaled and exhaled once, twice…thrice for good measure, as I white knuckled the edges of the bucket seat beneath me. "Are you saying that…_everything_ one wolf thinks…or…er…_remembers_ in his head…the other wolves can um…_see?_ As if…as if they're ah… seeing it in their own head…or memory too?" _Please say no, please say no; please say that's not it. _

"Pret-ty much." Embry stated candidly.

I was going to die of embarrassment on the spot. _No, was going to find some way to kill Paul first and then I was going to die of embarrassment. _

I wanted to ask more questions but I knew I didn't really want to know. I couldn't think about that now. I'd manage that horror later. I needed to stay focused on the vampire discussion.

"So…um...since you, Paul, Jared and Sam have shifted into wolves, according to what you've just told me, that means there are vampires threatening our tribe? Do I understand that correctly?" I spoke clearly and slowly, hating every word.

"Yup" Embry nodded. "You got it, Kimbo. You're a regular Nancy Drew" he teased, chucking me in the shoulder.

"None of this is funny, Em" I whispered brokenly.

"Please, you think I don't know? But if we don't laugh we'll slit our wrists, Kim…and that'll only attract more vampire covens" he snickered at his own lame wit.

"_Covens?_" I choked and fell into a coughing fit. "Shit, how many vampires are there?"

"Well… it's ah…sorta hard to tell at the _moment._" Embry seemed to be choosing his words carefully. "Maybe Sam can talk to you about that?" he suggested weakly.

_Oh, god, I was gonna have another panic attack if he kept dropping these bombs._ I folded myself forward until my head was between my knees and focused on breathing.

"Kim? Ah, shit, you okay, buddy?" I squeaked in response. "It's not as bad as it seems, really, so please, _please_ don't freak out again, 'kay?" Embry pleaded.

I groaned then ordered "_Talk!_"

"It all started with this annoying animal blood drinking vampire coven living in Forks last year" Embry began in a rush. "But they've actually left now, which is the good news" he announced overly brightly. "Unfortunately it didn't stop me or Paul from phasing, even after they were gone…which is the bad news" he advised sagely.

"_And_ it so happens now there's this crazy fast redheaded vampire chick who's been running amok, killing hikers in the woods, trying to cross our border and being an all around pain in the ass, quite frankly" Embry informed in a casual manner as if he were reporting the latest school gossip. "So as to how many more are out there with her, we're not entirely sure. There've been some random sightings but mostly just encounters with the redhead bitch. Whether or not Jake and Quil phase next will be pretty revealing as to what we might be up against, we think."

_Ah, well that explained the oft spoken reference to "Jake and Quil phase watch"._

"_But _Paul and me phasing could also just be a delayed reaction to the Cullens' extended stay in Forks last year. I mean…we just don't know."

"Cullens?" I squawked, my voice sounded muffled from between my legs.

"Yeah, that's the surname for the Forks vampire coven. Honestly, if that one Cullen vamp hadn't fallen in love maybe they would have left sooner and none of this would've happened" Embry wondered aloud.

_What? Did he just say one of the vampires fell in love and THAT somehow compounded the problem? _

I groaned loudly again and raised myself right side up. I was starting to get dizzy with all that blood rushing to my head. "Explain, please!" I demanded between clenched teeth.

"So this smokin' hot brunette moved to town last fall and caught the attention of the Cullen vampire clan who went to school with her at Forks High."

"Wait just a fuckin' minute!" I snapped. "Are you shitting me again?" I accused. "Why would vampires enroll in public high school?" _This made no sense._

"Well, the Cullens are kinda _different_" Embry surmised. "They're what we would consider to be um…like…progressive, nonconformist vamps, I guess you could say."

"I'd like another blue pill, Em" I requested softly and politely, feeling my head dangerously on the verge of explosion. We were in Forks now and swiftly approaching the local supermarket.

"Yeah, I know it sounds ridiculous but they're like…erm…the Woodstock generation of Cold Ones…trying to forge this alternative vampire lifestyle." He shook his head. "I dunno…you gotta ask Sam to explain it. They're all like over a hundred years old and shit and they have like this history with our tribe 'cause there's a treaty and stuff but _whatever_…I wasn't phased yet so I didn't know they were vamps at the time they were here. I just knew of them as this really odd, stuck up pale-faced family where all of the siblings were dating each other. I just thought they were Mormon or something" he shrugged as we pulled into the supermarket parking lot.

I sighed heavily, remembering the importance of exhaling in the event of a panic attack.

"So as I was saying, one of the vampires fell head over heels for the new hot chick in school and even claimed to be her mate. Vampires are hopeless romantics as it turns out, and mate for life. Kind of like us wolves but in a more creepy way. You know, like possessive, obsessive…watch you sleep can't make up my mind if I wanna kill you or fuck you kind of way." Embry gestured dismissively as he put the car in park. "Anyhow, their extended presence caused Sam to turn and then Jared. But Paul and I phased after they'd already left. And shortly thereafter was when this crazy redheaded vamp started causing trouble."

I nodded like a bobblehead, just wanting Embry to stop talking already. _None of this would ever make any damn sense, I was frightfully sure of it. _

"Oh, fuck me, there she is!" Embry exclaimed in wonderment. I followed his gaze to find a mousy, waifish brunette who looked to be about our age making her way across the parking lot towards the entrance of the supermarket.

"W-who is she?" I asked cautiously. _Please don't say vampire, please don't say vampire!_

"Bella Marie Swan" he spoke her name slowly with reverence. "She's the only good thing about being stuck on Jake and Quil phase watch" Embry explained dreamily. My eyes darted back and forth between Embry and the girl in the parking lot. He was staring after her as if she were as alluring as the goddess Aphrodite, as pure and as perfect as the Virgin Mary herself, as intriguingly, beguilingly complex as the frickin Mona Lisa. _Huh? _

"She's the one…the hot brunette the leech was in love with."

I glanced back and forth again to make sure I was looking at the right girl. The only other woman in the lot was an older pregnant lady sporting an eighties-style mullet. I was pretty certain that woman probably wasn't in the picture during Jake and Quil phase watch.

"She and Jake's dads are friends so they've known each other since they were kids" Embry expounded. "Jake's been hanging out with her and trying to cheer her up since the Cullen dork dumped her and left town. Jake's _totally_ in love with her" he lamented sadly.

I watched as the pint-sized brunette struggled with a cart that seemed to have one wheel that stuck, causing her to almost fall to the side as she yanked with all of her might to move it and it pulled sharply to the left due to the bad wheel. She prudently abandoned that cart in favor of another one a shopper had just left near the doorway on their way out. The new one seemed to work better but then the automatic doors at the store entry didn't open fast enough for her as she pushed the cart forward straight into the closed sliding doors. I heard Embry suck in his breath as the cart smacked against the shut doors, throwing the brunette backwards onto the pavement as the cart bounced back into her, knocking her squarely on her ass. _Was I high or was this girl simply a walking disaster? _

I didn't get it. _What could Embry possibly see in her?_ I swiveled my head back in Embry's direction to find an empty driver's seat as the door slammed shut and I saw Embry jog at the fastest believably human pace possible across the parking lot to assist his damsel in distress.

I shrugged out of my seatbelt and followed him out of the car. He was just carefully lifting her back up to her feet as I strode across the parking lot towards them. "Embry!" she exclaimed breathlessly, blushing scarlet as she looked up at him through her long dark lashes. They stared intently into one another's eyes for a beat. "Thank you" she finally murmured timidly, lowering her big brown eyes back down to the pavement.

"You're welcome, Bella" Embry's voice seemed to have dropped an octave. _Oh, good grief! _

"Hi" I thrust my hand in Bella's direction. "I'm Kim."

"Oh!" she exclaimed breathily, her delicate hand flying to her throat. "Hi!" She took my hand weakly in hers. "I'm Bella. Are you Embry's?... _Embry's?_..." she stammered, worrying her lower lip over the right relationship fit.

"Friend!" Embry supplied eagerly. "Kim's my good friend."

"Yeah" I concurred, "Embry's helping me shop."

"Oh!" Bella's face brightened. "That's so cool." She blushed again as she not so covertly looked Embry up and down, her eyes widening in awed appreciation. "Embry, you're _huge!_" she blurted artlessly to Embry's obvious delight.

"Yeah…totally" Embry breathed distractedly, an enormous grin slowly stretching from ear to ear. He continued to stare stupidly, obviously mesmerized by the secrets to the universe revealed in Bella's big brown eyes.

She wasn't anything special at first glance, her features pleasant enough but lacking distinction. But the more I studied her I realized there was something different about her, a freshness and an easy, unassuming nature that I imagined would be attractive to a genuinely good guy like Embry. But what had attracted the vamp boyfriend? Still knowing next to nothing about the mythical blood drinkers, I couldn't help but wonder what a vampire would see in such a girl? She couldn't present much of a challenge? She was quite possibly the easiest kill there ever was from what I'd seen of her so far…being more likely to accidentally off herself before the vamp even had a chance to suck her dry. It was a puzzle.

"Uh…shall we?" I prompted, jerking my head in the direction of the store.

We crawled our way through the aisles of the supermarket, Embry walking as slowly as possible to prolong his interaction with Bella. Aside from tossing about a dozen frozen pizzas and bags of chips into the cart I was manning, Embry barely acknowledged my presence he was so engaged with helping Bella with her shopping. I did my best to avoid snickering or making faces as I trailed a pace behind them, unable to avoid eavesdropping on their conversation.

Bella expressed concern on behalf of Jake and Quil, whom she revealed to be quite distraught over Embry's recent avoidance of them and his new association with Sam's "gang". Embry reassured her he wasn't in a gang or on steroids, and that things were just a little too complicated right now to disclose to Jake and Quil, as they wouldn't "get it". I found her blind acceptance of his piss poor explanation absurdly amusing as she nodded her head in sympathy and assumed comprehension of his plight. I imagined Embry could expose himself as a werewolf in the produce section and she'd have an equally nonchalant reaction.

Bella was going on about some bikes she and Jake were fixing up in his garage as she carelessly reached beside her and without looking grabbed a can of baked beans from an aisle end display. Unfortunately she chose the wrong Jenga piece to dislodge right from the center of the stack, causing the mountain of cans to collapse and tumble from the display table with a deafening clatter of weighted aluminum.

Embry lifted Bella and swung her out of harm's way behind him at lightning speed, using his own body to shield her from the continuous barrage of falling cans as I was left to fend for myself, hopping and tripping over the steady stream of rolling bean canisters cascading down the aisle. Bella gasped and for seemingly no reason whatsoever jumped back a few paces further despite the fact she was already safely out of the way, managing to collide with a moving shopping cart in the process.

As Embry once again scraped Bella off the ground, it struck me this girl suffered from a complete lack of self-preservation. Like that most basic of primal instincts was somehow absent from her DNA code. _Of course she would just happen to unknowingly fall in league with a clan of bloodthirsty undead and have one of them attach himself to her as a mate!_ Even if they'd told her they were bloodsuckers, she'd probably have somehow been understanding and empathetic to their poor plight and hunger for fresh blood.

So why had the vamp boyfriend left? Had he realized after only a semester or two of dating her that despite having lived over a century as a virtually indestructible nomadic vampire, that this one slip of a girl was likely to lead to his ultimate demise should he hang around her too long? _Hmm…yet another puzzle..._

We walked Bella to her car. After Embry had loaded her bags for her, she and he continued to gawk and giggle stupidly at one another while I stood by, an awkward, unwitting wingman of sorts.

"Well, um…it was great seeing you, Embry" Bella finally conceded. "Good luck with…uh…sorting things out and all."

Embry nodded solemnly. "Thanks, Bella. That really, _really _means a lot to me." His voice had dropped an octave again. _Seriously?_ _She'd essentially just said a big amount of nothing. _

"No pressure, but I'd really love to see you around Jake's again" Bella confessed shyly. "If you're up for it, we're going to be riding the motorcycles again this coming weekend." She peeked up through her long lashes in what I'd come to recognize as her trademark coquette go to move.

"Well..." Embry blushed like a schoolboy, pulling at the back of his neck "I'd like to but…well…I'll see what I can do…okay?"

Bella nodded, blushed a shade darker and got in her car after mumbling another breathy "bye".

"What?" I shrieked, as Bella was pulling out of her parking spot and safely out of earshot. "Jacob lets her ride a _motorcycle_?" I shook my head in disbelief. "With her poor balance and lack of reflexes?" I was aghast. "Is he trying to kill her?"

Embry rolled his eyes. "Don't get me started. The guy can't think straight where she's concerned."

An hour later we were back on the couch eating pizza and _still _talking about Bella Swan!

Embry shook his head, complaining over a mouthful of pizza, "I swear she and Jake spent a whole hour taking turns braiding each other's fucking hair last week." He threw his hands up in a gesture of defeat. "Fucking dumb, right?" I nodded agreeably and refrained from rolling my eyes, beyond tired of the subject of Bella watch.

"I mean, the last thing the girl needs right now" Embry continued "is Jake plying her with warm soda in his smelly garage, making her all gassy as he bores her with talk of how to flush a frickin transmission and complimenting her strawberry fucking shampoo. I mean it's ridiculous, right?" I nodded mechanically again.

"What chick wants to drink warm soda and hang out in Billy Black's shithole garage?" He asked incredulously.

_Was that a rhetorical question?_ _Did he really want me to answer? _

"Um…yeah…totally dumb" I placated. "He should just keep a cooler with ice in the garage…or something", I suggested helpfully, then added "warm soda sucks", trying to be supportive as I shoved another piece of pizza into my mouth.

"_No_…" he shook his head, furrowing his brows at me like I was some kind of moron, "No, Kim, that's not the point."

I shrugged. _Did I even care what the point was? _I refused to ask what the point was; _surely he would tell me anyway. _

"The point is she dated Edward _Cullen_, Kim… a _Cullen!_ I mean, she obviously didn't realize he was a bloodsucking undead parasite and a century old repressed homosexual. So if you overlook those characteristics, on the surface he seems like quite a catch for a small town girl."

Now I was truly lost.

"I mean, he's got money, Kim! He wears nice clothes, he drives a nice car; his dad is a well-respected doctor…_that no one seems to realize is just capitalizing on the availability of fresh blood his chosen career gives him unlimited access to_" Embry ruminated out loud. "He would clearly seem smart and sophisticated compared to the other poor schmucks at school since he's matriculated like twenty frickin times already. I mean, if you can't quote some inane lines from the most basic, popular Shakespeare plays on cue after that many rounds of reading them in high school English you're beyond mentally challenged, am I right?"

I nodded stoically again. "You wanna watch that movie you picked out now?" I offered eagerly, hoping to distract him from the topic of Bella.

"So that's her last boyfriend" he continued, ignoring my movie suggestion. "_That's_ Jake's competition. And what does Jake do to impress her? He gives her some warm soda and plays the fucking friend card, acting like he's some gay hairdresser or something."

I sighed audibly in exasperation, unable to contain it any longer.

"I _know, right?_" Embry mistook my sigh of annoyance for commiserated irritation over Jake's apparent idiocy. "I mean, Jake's my boy and all, don't get me wrong. But the kid's got no fucking game! He's gotta realize he's never gonna get in her pants with that shit. I swear it was like watching a sexually frustrating fucking trainwreck week after week all summer long."

I buried my head in my hands.

"I mean, that girl is severely sexually frustrated don't you think, Kim?" He asked me in apparent earnest. I gave him my best 'are you for fucking real?' look in response.

"C'mon, you can smell it a mile away even without wolf senses" he insisted. She's just begging for someone to bend her over and fuck her senseless, not play paddy cake and braid her fucking hair for her!"

"Oh, _**Je-sus!**_ **So just bend her over already, Embry!**" I shouted out in vexation, then instantly clamped my hand over my mouth as I realized with horror what I'd just said.

"_Really?"_ He latched onto the idea with great relish. "You _really_ think I should, huh? I mean, Jake's one of my _very best friends_, Kim!" He reminded dramatically, his hand flying over his heart in demonstration of his apparent shock at my lack of understanding the loyalty that should exist between friends. I smacked the heel of my hand against my head with equal exaggeration. "But then, you _really_ think I should? I mean, for her own good and all, right?"

"Em, what answer will get you to just shut up and put on that zombie movie you picked out?" I deadpanned.

"Okay, okay" he chuckled. "I see the blue happy pill is _definitely_ wearing off. _Shaun of the Dead_ it is then."

As I was grabbing another slice of pizza and Embry was setting up the DVD, Embry turned suddenly and announced cryptically with a frown, "And here comes…_someone_."

Seconds later the doorbell rang. I dropped my pizza as nervous excitement assaulted my belly. _Was it Paul?_ Embry sniffed the air then shook his head. "Nope…don't think I know that smell."

I tried to ignore the way my heart sank at the knowledge it wasn't Paul. I was still hopelessly dotty after all, right? _I wasn't thinking or feeling straight! _ The doorbell sounded again.

Embry 's brow lifted. "Um…did you wanna get that?"

"Should I?" I grimaced, wrinkling my nose. _Shit, did I want to talk to anyone in my current state of mind?_

Embry narrowed his eyes at me. "Um…I dunno…it's your house, Kim."

"Right…" I muttered to myself. _Maybe it was just a package? _

My mind drifted back to thoughts of Paul as my feet carried me to the front door. _What was wrong with me?_ I forgot to check the peephole and simply threw open the door, coming face to face with a black-eyed, scowling Maggie.

"Maggie! Oh my god, what happened?"

**A/N – Next chapter we hear the world according to Maggie and meet Kim's dad, followed by a late night visit to Kim's bedroom by a certain wolf…or **_**wolves**_**. ;) Thanks for reading and reviewing! **


	12. Chapter 12 Secrets and Lies

**A/N – With regard to the last chapter, when I described Maggie as "black-eyed" I meant as in bruised, not that her irises were black. Sorry for any confusion to those of you who took it to mean she'd wolfed out or something. She hasn't, at least…**_** not yet?**_**…**_**maybe never?**_**… Ah, you know, I just can't say! ;) As you may have guessed from the last chapter, I do intend to poke a little fun at Jacob in this fanfic. But, that doesn't mean I'm not still Team Jacob. Jacob and Bella will be very OOC in this fic.**

**For whatever reason, this chapter turned out to be a total beast to work on! Probably because I'd rather write smut and comedy over angst any day of the week, and this chapter's fairly angst-ridden, as we get to know a bit more about Kim and why she's so nutty. More importantly, aside from this chapter's content being crucial to understanding Kim's character and the storyline and all, I really needed to get it right in order to set up the lemon pie in chapter 13. :P So please do feel free to let me know if you love or hate it. **

**I'm still not Stephanie Meyer, as you well know. **

"_What happened?_" Maggie scorned, barreling past me into the narrow foyer. "What fucking happened, you ask? Well now, I think I should be the one asking you that!" She pivoted and turned to face me, arms crossed over her chest. Her already slightly hollowed, angular cheeks were sucked in as she tilted her head expectantly and gifted me with the most blazing, accusatory glare.

_Who was this girl? What had she done with Maggie?_

"Nothing to say, Kim?" she jeered. "Well, I'm not leaving until you tell me what in hell's going on around here!" She advanced towards me aggressively, stabbing her pointer finger into my shoulder in an odd gesture of provocation. _What in the bejesus? Did she wanna throw down and girl fight? _

I took a step back toward the still open front door, licking my lips nervously as I assessed the unfamiliar madwoman in front of me. "What happened to your eye, Maggie?"

"Oh, trust me, we'll get to that part" she laughed shrilly, reaching a long arm behind me to push the door shut, sealing my exit. "Let's just start with what the fuck you've been doing the last two days. I mean really, Kim, what in hell is wrong with you? Are you on drugs?" she shrieked.

Well, _actually_ I _was_…but she was the one acting like it, so I didn't reckon my little Xanax incident counted. She didn't wait for a response.

"Yesterday I find you lunching with Jared and Embry, after I _specifically_ asked you to keep your distance from them for your own safety!" she scolded.

I opened my mouth to explain and apologize but she threw a 'talk to the hand' gesture straight up in my face, silencing me. "_Whatever!_ I realized it's just lunch in a crowded cafeteria…I got over it. But _then_, I show up here last night having gotten your message from my mom and I find Jared's car parked outside." Her arms flew skyward, gesticulating '_what the fuck?_'

I shuffled nervously, trying to step past her, but she had me cornered by the door. "Do you want some ice?" I offered meekly. "It looks like it hurts."

"I was angry, but also worried." She completely ignored my question. "So I waited around for over an hour watching the house, first hiding out in the backyard then staking out the front from the bushes. After over an hour with no sign of Jared leaving I finally went home. But I couldn't stop worrying and debating over what I should do. I didn't know if you were in danger, if I was just crazy and overreacting, I didn't know how I would even be able to help you if you were. Basically I was a nervous fucking wreck so I came back around 9pm to stake out the house from the front bushes again."

She took a deep breath, raising her eyes to the ceiling as if the next part was difficult to say. "And _that's_ when I caught a peek of you through the window…_making out with Jared up against the wall like you were about to have some kind of… __**acrobatic porno sex!**_ She enunciated harshly, raising her voice.

_Yikes! _My entire body flushed with embarrassment. I was mortified at Maggie's disapproval.

"I didn't know what the flipping fuck to think after that, Kim." She turned and began pacing back and forth in the tiny entryway hall. "I just wandered home in a state of shock. I mean, I realize you've been infatuated with him since like birth, _God only knows why!_ So I _guess _I can understand you falling so hard for his charms you'd consider giving up your V card to that man-whore only twelve hours after he learned your name…_despite going to school with you for over a decade!_" she bitingly added.

_Oh, God, that was way harsh. _ I felt the bile rising up in my throat. She didn't stop.

"This morning I went to look for you but you weren't at your locker. I quickly find that the entire school is buzzing about how you and _Paul Lahote _were seen walking hand in hand through the hallways like a couple!"

I cringed. I'd suspected as much would result of Paul's public display. _Shit, fuck fuck!_

"I figured there's got to be some mistake, some crazy disconnect like maybe you twisted your ankle and he was helping you walk to class. I mean, I'd just seen you practically shagging Jared the night before. But then I ran into Jake, and he confirmed you were indeed walking hand in hand with Paul." She quirked an eyebrow, resting her hand on her hip. "He _also _mentioned how he randomly saw you exit a janitor's closet yesterday afternoon, your lips swollen and you looking all disheveled and covered with dust and dirt like you'd been mauled and run across the floor like a swiffer" she supplied.

_Ewe, what a frickin old lady gossip move on Jake's part! _

"So I had to endure this long lecture from Jake about how I need to look out for you because you're getting mixed up with the wrong crowd and your life is liable to go down the toilet and result in teen pregnancy if this path continues." She rolled her eyes in irritation. "He even went so far as to loan me some self-help tape to pass along to you."

_Ugh, Embry was right! _Jake kinda did act like a gay hairdresser.

"I finally ditched Jake and then Gabby and Darla descended upon me_,_ demanding answers…as if I fucking know what the hell's going on with you!"

_Shit!_ I covered my face with my hands, peeking through my fingers. I had a bad feeling about what was coming next.

"_Oh, yeah! _ You got that right!" she confirmed with heavy sarcasm. "We got into it and Gabby said some shit that pissed me off so I shoved her just to get her out of my face." _Maggie shoved someone? _ "And then she comes back swinging at me!" She pointed to her bruised, slightly swollen eye. "Can you believe it?" she screeched, throwing her palms towards the ceiling. "How friggin ghetto is that?" She laughed maniacally.

_Oh, shit! _Maggie seemed to be swiftly coming unglued.

"I mean, really?" Maggie's eyes were wild. "I've never been in a fight before, what the hell do I know about throwing a punch? I was just so livid I reacted without thinking. There was this crazy adrenaline rush and the next thing I knew I had whacked her in the face with my Calculus book and broken her nose."

I gasped in horror…_and delight._

"Uh-huh. That's right…fucking broke Native Barbie's nose!" Maggie pursed her lips and did a little triumphant neck roll. _What the fuck? Where was all this newfound confidence and aggression coming from?_

"There was blood everywhere, Kim!" She seemed oddly proud and excited to be reporting this piece of news. "It was nuts! Now I'm suspended from school for a week and grounded for the rest of my life. I had to sneak out my window to come here."

Embry sauntered casually into the narrow entry hallway from the living room then, his large physical presence suddenly making the already cramped space feel completely claustrophobic as Maggie and I had to shrink back to allow him room. Maggie's jaw fell ajar, her eyes widened in hysteria. _Shit, in all the excitement I'd forgotten for a mad second he was in the other room! _

"Hey Mags, s'up?" Embry greeted with a smile and a wink as he positioned himself between us, leaning against the wall. "_Sweet_ shiner!" he complimented, offering his hand up for a high five. "_Tell me_ you fucked Gabby up?" he begged, grinning with delight. "Gimme the deets! Is she just gonna need her nose reset or totally cosmetically reconstructed?"

Maggie stood stock still, her face transfixed with horror, leaving Embry hanging with his hand awkwardly suspended in the air.

"Well…um…" Embry's eyes darted back and forth between me and Maggie as he nonchalantly lowered his hand and pushed off from the wall "I'm just gonna go…uh…sit on the shitter for a bit…I think" he improvised, scratching the back of his head. "Got any _Victoria's Secret _catalogues or anything?" He looked expectantly at me.

_What? _ Why did he always have to be so dang weird? "Um…I think I saw a _Land's End_ catalog on the kitchen counter near the coupon collection" I offered.

Embry's features contorted in distaste. "Uh…_yeeaaah_…so _not _the same…but thanks, anyway." He started walking down the hallway towards the bedrooms and bathroom then turned back to me again, a humorous glint in his eye.

"Oh ah, sugar britches?" _No he fucking just didn't!_ "You mind coming in the bathroom with me for a sec and showing me how your low flow toilet works?" He requested innocently. _I would kill him. _ "I um…couldn't get it to flush when I blew out the old pipes earlier." He shrugged unabashedly patting his lower belly, clearly enjoying his efforts at grossing us out and making Maggie more horrified and uncomfortable than she already was. _He was being such an unconscionable ass! _Little shithead thought he was so damn hilarious with his stupid potty humor.

I smiled fake sweetly through clenched teeth and gritted out "_Sure_, Em!" Maggie's face was a portrait of sheer disgust. "I'll be right back, Maggie" I promised. "Please, don't go anywhere, okay?" She rolled her eyes and nodded.

"You are so not funny, Em!" I whisper shouted as soon as the bathroom door was shut, batting my fists against any place on him I could reach as he shook with silent laughter.

"C'mon, you only say that because it's at your expense" he choked out in a whisper in between fits of giggles. "If you take a step back, you gotta admit this shit's funny."

"Now Maggie probably thinks I'm sleeping with all three of you, you ass! How the hell am I supposed to explain all this?"

"Well, that's why I called you in here. You can't tell her anything!" His expression was suddenly humorless. "I mean, seriously, absolutely nothing, Kim. This is no joke. We can't have our secrets revealed."

"What secrets? Apparently everyone but me already knows and believes in the legends!" I countered.

"Yeah but no one actually believes they happen _nowadays_! There's a major difference. It's like how billions of people believe wholeheartedly in their respective religion, dedicate and live their lives based on various biblical stories and characters but no one would believe for a second they were happening in their hometown today. They'd haul you off to a mental institution or throw you in drug rehab if you claimed you saw some hippie-looking dude walking on water and shit."

He had a point.

"Mags is a little different though. You know, she's always been bookish and kinda a weird chick. And, her dad is on the tribal council and knows about us. And he knows she's already suspicious of what's going on around LaPush." Embry gripped me by the shoulders. "You CANNOT contribute to her suspicions, Kim!" he intoned with authority. Then he added, "Keep in mind anyone who knows about us is automatically in danger." _Well, gee, thanks for that! _

"Maggie is NOT weird!" I defended, struggling against his iron grip.

"She was hiding out in your bushes last night like some peeping tom, Kim, and she uses expressions like 'stake-out'. She's not exactly normal."

"Well you turn into a giant wolf! She's my best friend and she just took a punch in the face for me, Embry!"

"Okay, okay. Let's not waste time arguing. If we're in here too long she's gonna think we're doing it." He snickered, then made a face and shuddered.

"Ewe, fine. I won't say anything. But I have no idea what the hell I'm gonna say to explain all this shit!"

"Just tell her the truth." He smirked, releasing my shoulders. "That I have a twisted awesome sense of humor, you finally realized Jared was a big douchebag and you and Paul are together now."

"That's not the truth!"

He shrugged. "It will be. Are you gonna talk to her or hold my hand while I sit on the can?"

"I hate you."

"You don't mean that." He grinned, puckered and blew me a kiss.

"Ass!"

I returned to find Maggie surveying the living room with interest, her eyes scanning over the piles of dirty dishes, empty pans and various ravaged empty food containers. _I knew that look…_the one she got when she was fitting together the final pieces of a puzzle in her head. _Fuck._

When our eyes met hers were brimming with suspicion…and hurt. She tilted her head to the side, inquiring sarcastically, "Everything okay with your new BFF's bowels?"

I bit my lip and nodded. _How was I supposed to lie to Maggie?_

"Well, that's _such_ a relief" she continued in a blithe, mocking tone. "So was the whole La Push football team over for dinner? Or just Paul, Jared and Embry? Perhaps Sam Uley too? Tell me, are you dating all of them now?"

I shook my head, not knowing what the heck to say and feeling like the worst friend in the world. "I'm _really_ sorry about your eye, Maggie. This is all my fault. I swear I never meant for anything to happen like this."

She shrugged, offering me a wan smile. "I know."

"The last two days have just been a little…um… _wacky_, Maggie." _Darnit if that wasn't the understatement of my life! _ "I can't even explain it to myself" I confessed truthfully.

Maggie nodded, studying me intently for a moment. "So what's going on with you and Jared?" she asked carefully. "And you and Paul?"

"I…I don't know." Again, it was the truth. _ I'd decided avoidance was the best strategy._

The brow over her good eye lifted. "You _don't know?_" she asked incredulously. I shook my head in confirmation. "You've got Jared practically pile driving you into the wall and Paul leading you through the school hallway like he's your boyfriend and you _**don't know**_?" She snorted. "You might just want to figure it out, Kim, and fast!"

I rolled my eyes. She really had a knack for making me feel like a total idiot sometimes.

"I mean, don't you find it the _least_ bit strange that suddenly _both of them_ are giving you such unprecedented attention? You don't find that _oddly suspicious_ after all these years?" she pressed on condescendingly.

"I know, okay!" I bristled defensively, feeling completely mortified. "I _know _it doesn't make any sense the two hottest guys in our class would ever look twice at me much less want to date me! You don't think I know I'm way out of my league and that all of this is going to come crashing down on me as either some twisted joke or sick bet or a cruel dream I'm gonna suddenly wake up from?"

Maggie shook her head slowly, a wrinkle creasing her forehead. "_No_…no that's not it, Kim. God, that's not what I meant at all." She gripped my shoulders firmly and looked me dead in the eyes. "Kim, listen to me, you can do _**so much better**_ than _either_ of those guys!" I instantly rolled my eyes in disgust and looked away from her penetrating gaze. "NO, _really!_ Please, Kim, you have to hear me!"

I shrugged out of her hold and moved to gather up the dirty dishes from the living room. "Whatever, Mags."

"Damnit, Kim. I knew I should have put a stop to this Jared insanity a long time ago!"

_Oh, like it was fucking up to her in the first place? _ Maggie trailed me as I stormed angrily into the kitchen, my arms loaded with dishes.

"But you were so obsessed. It was like the only thing you believed in." _She just didn't know when to stop! _"God, I'll never understand why you had to pick _him_." Her face screwed up in disgust. "It seemed harmless enough at first and I knew he'd never notice you anyway so I figured what hurt could it come to?"

I dumped the load of dishes into the sink. "Gee, thanks a fucking lot, Maggie!" I crossed my arms over my chest and turned to lean against the counter, glaring at her.

"Fuck I don't mean it like that! I mean, he never really noticed any of us Quileute girls. I guess that's what's always irritated me about him the most" she admitted with a weary sigh. "Jared's slept with practically half the population of Forks High while he's dated like two girls from La Push. Like his own kind have never been good enough for him."

"What?" _What was she talking about?_

"Ugh, geez…you really don't know Jared, Kim. He's never been the prince charming you made him into in your head. He's just another guy...a flawed, oversexed teenage boy who until yesterday seemed to exclusively prefer banging hoquats."

_How?_ _How had Maggie and Leah both known Jared was a man-whore and I didn't? _ I really was a total idiot. I just wanted this day to be over so I could cry myself to sleep in privacy.

"But he definitely noticed _you_ yesterday. He just looked through me as usual" she muttered with a touch of asperity. "I mean, you _do_ look different, Kim. Like, _gorgeous!_" she emphasized sincerely with a smile. "You finally gained some weight and filled out over the summer. And I can't tell you how frickin' jealous I am you got your boobs!" she playfully whined. "I swear I don't think mine are ever coming in at this rate. All I ever do is get taller."

I huffed at her self-flagellation. "Stop it Maggie, you could be on a frickin runway in New York right now if you wanted to with your height and body."

"_Pullease_…the beanpole human hanger look might sell clothes but it doesn't get guys to notice you other than to react negatively to how short you make them feel" she lamented.

"Whatever" I rolled my eyes, "you're the one who's had the boyfriends, not me. This is literally the first time any remotely attractive males have shown an interest in me, Maggie. Apparently all because I took off my glasses" I joked sourly.

"Kim, you've _always_ been beautiful. And guys have _always_ noticed you. It's just different now because you look…well…more mature…_womanly_. You know? And the clothes from Alison just show it off more than the baggy stuff you used to hide yourself under."

I sighed. "You don't have to say this shit, Maggie. I know I've been a total idiot, okay. Jumping into Jared's arms the first second he pays me the smallest bit of attention. And Paul…" I trailed off, unable to continue. _I didn't want to even think let alone confess how big of a moron I'd been with Paul. _At least I'd maintained some semblance of dignity where Jared was concerned. _Hadn't I? _

_Oh, god, how would I ever tell Maggie what had transpired between me and Paul?_

"Well the Paul thing makes a lot more sense than Jared does." Maggie shocked the hell out of me by saying. I gave her a look that expressed as much.

She shrugged. "I mean, Paul's always had a thing for you, Kim" she stated matter-of-factly, as if it were common knowledge…_to everyone except me?_

"W-what do you mean?" I stammered, my heart rate picking up pace.

"I mean, Paul's just always watched you…looked after you longingly and…I don't know…just obviously…_wanted_ you."

"_WHAT?_" I screeched disbelievingly. _How? What the fuck? How did Maggie know this when I never did?_

Maggie sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head. "Kim, you're so completely oblivious. I used to seriously worry about you where Paul was concerned…the way he looked like he was going to just…devour you sometimes, given he was such a total player." She shook her mass of curls. "But then, he just left you alone." A deep crease formed between her brows. "He just kept quietly watching from a distance…like he was _waiting_…waiting for you. And then yesterday morning in the hallway, something happened. It was like something snapped inside him. He was looking at you like…like he couldn't stand to wait anymore. Like he was going to have you whether you were ready or not." Maggie shivered; she looked at me dead on. "And then his eyes turned yellow."

_Shit! _I swallowed, feeling myself blush. I knew I looked guilty.

"You saw it, too, didn't you?" she asked softly, searching my face, a glimmer of hope reflected in her eyes. "Tell me you saw it, Kim" she implored, eying me anxiously. "Tell me I'm not crazy?"

"I…I don't know." I shook my head, attempting to control my facial expressions. I was the world's worst liar. "I don't know what I saw." I felt my face flush even redder.

Maggie bit her lower lip, shutting her eyes. She looked so disappointed. _ I really was a terrible friend! Why not just punch her in the other eye while I was at it?_

"Please, Kim?" she looked beseechingly at me. "I had such a rough summer. You don't even know. My parents have been politely ignoring and avoiding me for a solid two months now. There've been so many weird cloak and dagger council meetings and cryptic visits from Old Quil and Billy Black to our house. I know they're hiding something beyond huge from me. They've never done that before, and it's just been so hard. _Please?_ You know what's going on, don't you?" It was more of an accusation than a question.

My mouth felt uncommonly dry. "I'm sorry" I breathed. "I just don't know anything" I lied.

"Jesus, Kim!" she groaned in vexation. "Don't do this" she pleaded, looking pained. "You're so smart and you have so much you can do with your life. You have a better relationship with your mom's brother's family in California than you have with your own dad here. You have somewhere to go and people who love you and want you. There's nothing to hold you here like there is for me. Kim, I love you, but I know you've never felt you belonged here and you've never really wanted to stay here. _Please?_ Please don't let Jared or Paul be the reason to tie yourself to a path to nowhere. Our options are so limited here. You don't want to shackle yourself here, Kim. I know you don't. And _especially_ not to what I think has happened to Paul and Jared."

"That's not what's happening here, okay?" I blustered defensively. _Where did she get off? _ "I'm not making any critical life decisions based on two guys who've apparently slept with more than half of the entire local population and who _may_ or _may not_ even like me! I'm not _entirely_ as much of a loser as you obviously think I am, Maggie!"

She shook her head vehemently, looking beyond frustrated…beyond desperate to get her point across as she came to stand directly in front of my face. "Listen to me, Kim" she spoke in a whispered plea. "I know your mom said a lot of fucked up shit to you when you were little."

_What? What the fuck did that have to do with anything? _ I shook my head dismissively, fighting down my mounting irritation.

"No, I _remember!"_ she insisted. "I was **there** some of the time she was saying it!"

_Just what the fuck was she getting at? _I felt a weird burning sensation in the pit of my stomach…_not in a good way._

I moved to the sink, turned the water on high and began rinsing dishes. _Wow, there were so many dishes and pans!_ Embry and I had gone through three whole casseroles from Sandra. _I'd wash Sandra's pans by hand, I decided. _

"But none of it was true!" Maggie raised her voice in order to be heard over the water.

I felt angry tears stinging to erupt. My nervous hands wouldn't stop shaking, making it increasingly harder to hold the slippery dishes. The searing pain in my abdomen seemed to be intensifying. _Great, I had an ulcer now. _

"None of what she made you believe was real!" She was practically shouting in my face.

I shut the water off and bent to retrieve the dish soap from beneath the sink. "That's really not what this is about, okay?" I replied in as calm a voice as possible. "Can we not talk about this right now?" _Darnit, I'd totally forgotten to get more dishwashing liquid at the store. _ I probably had just enough if I stretched it out and added some water to the bottle. I screwed the cap off and turned the water on at a low pressure, focusing all of my attention on carefully filling it.

"It's _exactly _what this is about!" she yelled. "Kim, she was a sick woman. She didn't know what she was saying half the time. She was miserable and she hated herself. And she hated you for the parts of herself she saw in you. _It wasn't you! _ There was never anything wrong with you like she made you think! She was just so unhappy that she was literally incapable of loving _anyone_."

I felt the cold water running over my hands holding the plastic soap bottle and belatedly realized I'd spaced and over filled the container, wasting what precious little soap there'd been in the first place.

"You couldn't have changed that" Maggie contended. "It wouldn't have mattered if you'd _looked_ different or had _been_ different, she _**never**_would have loved you any better, Kim!" The bottle slipped through my trembling fingers.

"I swear you were just as adorable and sweet as any little girl could ever have been" Maggie asserted, her voice rife with regret.

I rudely switched the radio on the countertop on and turned up the volume, hoping Maggie would take a fucking hint. _I was so over this conversation._ _Why wasn't Embry coming out of the bathroom to save me? What the fuck was he up to in there while I was left to deal with this absurd drama? _

**"You **_**never**_** could have made her happy!"** Maggie screamed at the top of her lungs, and I finally turned my head fully to look at her. Her face was turning from red to purple. Her eyes were wet with tears and bugging out of their sockets, the right, injured eye twitched spastically and the vein that ran down the center of her forehead looked like it was about to burst right through the skin. _She looked utterly. completely. Ridiculous!_ And I couldn't help it…I started laughing hysterically.

"Goddamnit, don't you pull that shit Kim, this is important!"

I started wheezing and snorting, doubling over the sink I was laughing so hard. _Maggie just didn't get the humor. _If she could only see how absurdly funny she looked just now she would've understood.

"_You have to listen to me!_ You have to stop seeing yourself through your mother's twisted eyes. You have this absurdly inaccurate self-image based on a morbidly depressed crazy person and _ugh_…fuck me for saying this but idiot Jake is right, you're totally going to blow your life down the fucking toilet if you don't change the image you hold of yourself!"

Jake? _Ha! _ _Did Maggie know she was taking advice from a guy who wooed girls with warm soda? _

I mock gagged over my finger, making a disgusted retching sound in between giggles. "Save the afterschool special monologue please, you're making me nauseous. You know I don't digest cheese well, Maggie."

"I can't do this anymore, Kim!" she declared hopelessly.

I cleared my throat and with superhuman effort gained control over my laughter. I shut the radio off. "C'mon, we've done enough talking about my mom for one day, don't you think?" I was breathing heavily, practically gasping for air. "Jesus, have some respect for the dead, Maggie!" I half jokingly reprimanded, running short of options. My heart was beating so hard I swore I could hear it. "My mom's not here to defend herself, you know." It was a low jab but it always did the trick. Maggie nodded, looking contrite. _I was such a bitch. _

No one liked being called out on talking ill of the dead. It was never appropriate, never proper form. _And it earned me a free pass every single time. _ I focused on evening out my breathing as Maggie and I began a stare off.

"You know something? It's been really hard being your friend at times, Kim." She spoke calmly, wiping at her eyes. "Sometimes I don't know why I still try" she shrugged in defeat.

The burning discomfort in my stomach was joined by a stabbing pain in my chest. _Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale._ "Well, I'm sorry for putting you out, Maggie."

"I can't live in your alternate reality, Kim. And that's the separation between us you insist on sustaining. It's not healthy to bury feelings for so long. You're like a fucking geyser just waiting to erupt. And frankly I don't know if I want to be anywhere near the fallout when your shit finally blows."

_What the fuck did she think she was talking about? Fucking overdramatic fucking nonsense! She didn't know jack shit. _ I felt suddenly possessed by an erratic impulse to punch her in her other eye for real now, but I quickly tamped it down. _It had to be the side effects of the Xanax wearing off like Leah had warned making me feel this way._

"Then don't be" I stated coldly. I saw the hurt in her eyes and felt some sick measure of satisfaction before swiftly shifting to emotions of guilt. The awkward, surreal spell pervading the kitchen was broken by the sound of the toilet flushing in the bathroom down the hall.

Maggie rolled her eyes disdainfully. "Fine. You've got your new _**pack**_ of friends" she deliberately emphasized the word, nodding her head in the direction of the bathroom. _Holy shit, she knew!_ "Prince Jared the _wolfboy_ knows your name now. What do you need me for?" _She fucking knew! _

Embry silently entered the kitchen, looking a bit shell-shocked as he glanced uneasily back and forth between Maggie and me.

Maggie's eyes shot icy daggers at Embry. "And by the way, your wrists look worse than my eye, Kim." She bumped her shoulder aggressively into Embry's as she passed by him. _Whoa! Where had she gotten this new set of balls she had? _ She stopped and looked up at him sternly before threatening "Nothing better fucking happen to her, do you understand? And if you say anything to my dad about this I'll know."

I thought I heard him mutter "fuck me" under his breath as the front door slammed shut behind Maggie.

Embry and I stood in total silence a distance apart from one another for what seemed like an eternity.

"I'm sorry" he finally said. "I didn't know…'bout your mom."

"Don't worry about it" I said dismissively. "Jared didn't know she was dead either" I added flippantly.

"I knew she was dead, Kim. I didn't know about…" He trailed off. "I heard she died of…was it a heart attack… um… _aneurysm?_"

I just breathed. _Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. _

"Wasn't expected, was it?" he questioned gently.

I shook my head.

"Must've been hard?"

I shrugged. "I woke up one morning and found her here on the kitchen floor on this very same ugly orange-yellow linoleum." My voice sounded a little thick, but surprisingly smooth.

Embry scrunched up his nose and looked like he wanted to jump about ten feet back from where he stood on the linoleum. It was enough to make me burst into giggles again.

"Sorry" he mumbled in embarrassment.

"Don't be. _Technically_, she didn't actually die on this floor" I explained stoically. "She was pronounced officially dead several hours later, at the hospital."

Embry nodded; there was an oddly familiar vacant, faraway look in his eyes. For some reason I felt like I'd seen those eyes look at me like that a million times, but I knew they hadn't.

"I still hate this hideous linoleum though. It's beyond fucking sick that we still have it." And then I had an epiphany. "Do you know how to lay linoleum, Em?"

"Uh…yeah, I've done it for my mom. It's pretty basic stuff."

"Would you show me how?" I asked anxiously, suddenly feeling as if my entire sanity depended upon ripping up that ugly kitchen floor.

"S-sure."

"Soon?"

"Uh-huh…whenever you want."

"_Promise?_"

"I promise, Kim."

"Thanks, Em." I smiled, exhaling the weight of the world from my shoulders. "I know it shouldn't be a big thing…but I can't help it" I confessed, tears finally spilling over and down my cheeks. "I swear sometimes I feel like I'm just gonna crack up if I have to walk into this kitchen one more time and see that ugly stinking linoleum, you know?" I was giggle crying now, so happy yet so insanely on edge. Embry was looking at me a bit strangely. _H_e_ was probably getting ready to whack me on the back again. _

"Absolutely, honey" he nodded carefully, stealthily approaching me. "I totally get it" he assured me. He placed his arm tentatively around my shoulder. "We'll just change the linoleum and then you won't have to crack up okay? It's that simple."

I nodded eagerly in agreement as Embry pulled me into his chest, feeling so relieved and yet so foolish for not realizing it before…for waiting so long when the answer was so simple. I could've just googled '_how to lay vinyl flooring_' and taken care of this shit a long time ago. _I should have known my father would never get to it. _ Everything would be perfect once we had new kitchen flooring. I would start looking at patterns tomorrow. _Linoleum wasn't too expensive, was it? Maybe I could even slowly update the whole kitchen a bit? _

We didn't speak the rest of the evening. I was curled up comfortably against Embry on the couch, happily contemplating my new kitchen floor as we watched _Shaun of the Dead_. I didn't let myself think too much about Maggie. She was just being a drama queen. She always made things out to be so much worse than they were. Things weren't that bad. And she and I would make up. We always did. _And I was getting new vinyl flooring! _Things would be different once that disaster of a pattern was finally banished from my life.

I felt Embry suddenly startle beneath me, his head jerking upright as he sniffed the air. "You got company" he announced, then added "and they have a key."

I straightened upright a little as well. _Who had a key besides…?_ I heard my dad's clunking shuffle-step as he entered the foyer. _Eh. _I sank back into my previous position leaning against Embry's shoulder as I hugged loosely to his bicep. _I wasn't getting up from my comfy position on dear old dad's account._ He'd made no effort to be around to see me since I'd been home the last two days after being gone a whole summer. _Why should I jump up to greet him?_

Embry was still rigid beneath me. He cleared his throat nervously. "Uh…Kim? Shouldn't we…uh?"

"Hey, dad" I greeted without enthusiasm as I heard him thump his way through the kitchen towards the living room. I didn't even turn my head away from the television as I saw him approach in my periphery, his stomping feet coming to an abrupt halt. "This is Embry…Embry Call" I nodded my head into Embry's shoulder where it was already resting.

"Uh…hello, sir. It's very nice to meet you" Embry mumbled stiffly as he tried to nonchalantly dislodge me so that he could stand to properly greet my dad.

_Oh, whatever. _ I lifted my head and let go of his arm so he could stand._ I could have told Embry not to waste good manners. My dad was fairly socially challenged. I was willing to bet he wouldn't say two words to Embry._

"Oh dear god!" I heard my dad exclaim in horror. _Wha?_ I looked up from the television, leaning forward in order to see around Embry's massive, towering frame. My dad had his hand clutched over his heart and I worried for a moment he was having a heart attack. He seemed disoriented enough.

"Dad? Dad, are you okay?" I rose to my feet. He was staring at Embry with a look of sheer, abject horror.

"Oh, god…oh, Jesus Christ!" he muttered insanely, looking back and forth between me and Embry now, his eyes filled with panic. My dad was the most stoic, unemotional person on the planet…the quintessential Camus _Stranger_ type. _What the hell was he going on about? _

"Y-young man" he began, then swallowed nervously, his voice shaking. "Young man…" he stated more firmly this time, but once again, followed up with nothing. Embry was still standing with his hand outstretched awkwardly to my father in greeting.

"_Yeah?_" Embry inquired politely in response, trying to be helpful.

"Young man…" My idiot father tried again.

Embry's eyes darted back to mine, sneaking me a look that clearly sought confirmation of whether my dad was truly mental or just socially retarded.

_Ugh!_ I buried my face in my hands and groaned "_Dad_, you're embarrassing me!"

"Y-y-young man…" he began shakily again.

"Stop saying that, Dad!" I finally blurted in annoyance.

Embry gave up and dropped his hand to his side.

"Young man…" he tried yet again. His face was beet red and he was sweating something fierce. _What the devil was his problem?_ "Young man…does your m-mother know you're here?" _No, he did not just ask that?_

Thank god it was just Embry and not a real date. _He was freaking out because he came home and found me with a boy? _ _That's_ what this uncharacteristic meltdown was about? And he thought? _Me and Embry? Ha! _ And what a completely dopey thing to say. _Does your mother know you're here? _I snorted with amusement as I contemplated what Paul's reaction might be to that question from my dad.

"Uhhhh…noo…um…not actually" Embry responded stiltedly. _He was sweet to humor my dad's insanity. _

"Oh, Lord! Oh, Jesus Christ!" _Great, he was back to that again. _ He had the eyes of a desperate man; nothing like those of my father as they fell upon me. Again, I had never seen those eyes express much in the way of _any _emotion. Certainly I had never imagined seeing that look of unparalleled desperation mixed with regret with which he beheld me now.

"Dad! Pull yourself together!" I scolded a tad harshly.

"Y-you watch your tone, young lady!" he snapped at me unexpectedly. _What in the heck?_ Was he actually fucking _correcting me_?

"Kimberly" he continued sternly, trying on the role of a disciplining father for the first time ever, "you are not allowed to date and you are therefore not allowed to see this boy Embry again."

_I wasn't allowed to date? My dad was suddenly a concerned parent who wanted to be involved and have a say in my life after all these years? _I could feel my newfound ulcer beginning to fester again. Oh, he'd fucking picked the wrong moment to finally become a parent! Whether it was the grueling, emotionally draining long day I'd had or just the Xanax wearing off making me suddenly feel like I had the worst PMS of the century, my dad was gonna regret starting this shit with me.

"Dad" I began calmly enough, "Embry and I are _**not **_dating. He's just my friend." I informed him politely enough. But then I lost it. "And _**where the hell**_ do you get off deciding to parent me after all these years? I'll date if I want to date and I'll date _**who**_ I want to date and if I want to date Embry, I **WILL**!" I shouted.

My dad looked completely taken aback and scared out of his wits. Embry's eyes were wide as saucers.

"But…but what about that Cameron boy you've liked your whole life?" My dad had the idiocy to ask in bewilderment. "Y-you said you'd never date anyone but him?"

"Turns out he's kind of a racist and a man-whore, dad!" I yelled. "And his mom pops pills and makes a shitty casserole!" I added viciously. _Why had I said that? I didn't really mean that. Those were horrible things to say! Shit, that Xanax withdrawal was no joke! _

I heard the distinct sound of wheezing and saw Embry doubled over with laughter he was pathetically attempting to suppress. He held his hand up in apology as he tried to get it under control enough to speak. My dad and I looked on in confusion.

"I'm sorry" he choked then fell into another fit of hysterical chuckles until he was literally wiping the tears from his eyes he was laughing so hard.

"So sorry" he tried again, clearing his throat. "I'm not laughing" he snickered, "I'm not laughing at you, Mr. Callway." He guffawed heartily again. "I mean no disrespect, sir" he assured, then busted up again. "I just have this thing…this bizarre tendency…to find irrational humor in uncomfortable situations."

_What?_ I shook my head. _God, Embry was such a weird egg._

My dad's face had gone far too ashen for a native. I'd never seen him look so terrified before, as he looked now staring at Embry's amused countenance.

"I need a drink" my dad suddenly announced to no one in particular, gazing vacantly off into space before making a hasty exit back out the front door.

_Sonofabitch! _ _What the fuck had gotten into him tonight? And how dare he get me all riled up, thinking we were going to finally communicate on some small level after 17 years, only to leave me seething while he went drinking? _

Embry had left shortly thereafter, in response to several sudden wolf howls. He'd reassured me not to worry, that everything was fine, that it wasn't a vampire alert, but something told me based on his reaction that they'd still been something akin to distress calls. He'd instructed me to leave my window open, saying that either he or Paul would be back to check on me tonight.

I couldn't deny I'd been hoping Paul would come to check on me. I didn't know why but I just really, really needed to see him. Or, if I was more honest about my own insanity…I needed to _smell_ him.

I was tossing and turning, sleep having completely eluded me, when I heard a knock at my window, followed by the sound of it lifting opening.

"_Paul?_" I asked hopefully in spite of myself, knowing it could just as easily and more likely be Embry. As I sat up and moved toward the edge of the bed, a dark, imposing figure gracefully crawled through the window.

"No, it's me, Jared."

"Oh." I tried but failed to keep the disappointment out of my voice with that one spoken syllable.

"Sorry" Jared apologized, sounding completely crestfallen.

"No, no I'm sorry…I just…had really long, hard day is all" I explained stupidly.

"Yeah, I know, sweetie. You wanna talk about it?"

"Not really." I was _definitely_ all talked out for the day.

"Kim, I'm so sorry for being a jerk earlier" he apologized, approaching me at the edge of the bed. I scooted myself back to allow him room as he sat on the bed next to me.

I shrugged, not entirely sure what he was referring to, not really knowing what to say; not wanting to talk at all.

"I'm really, really sorry for turning into a wolf right in front of you and scaring you." _He was still apologizing for that piece of ancient history? _

"S'okay." I inched back little by little on the bed as he crawled slowly nearer until my back was up against the headboard.

He cupped the side of my face with his warm palm. "Kim…I…there's so much I want to say I don't know where to start." He brought his other hand up to capture the other side of my face and I felt a bit overwhelmed by his intensity and close proximity now.

I swallowed, suddenly nervous. I didn't think I wanted to hear what he had to say. I wasn't in the mood to hear his confessions or declarations or…whatever it was he wanted to get off his chest. There were way too many emotions and memories I was already struggling to suppress tonight, the effort to do so rendering me completely exhausted.

"Please, I…I don't wanna talk, Jared. Can't. Too long day" I babbled incoherently.

"Okay" he nodded. "That's alright, sweetheart." There was a look in his eyes I should have recognized but didn't until it was too late. "We don't have to talk at all, honey" he breathed huskily as his warm full lips came down on mine. At first I wanted to stop him, not really wanting him to kiss me. But then I just went with it, opening my mouth to his eager tongue, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him back with everything I had. I wanted to forget and I wanted to remember.

He groaned into my mouth, his hand slipping beneath my tank top to knead my breast thoroughly before stroking down my stomach and into my lap. "You're so fucking beautiful, Kim" he growled in my ear. "So damn _hot! _ Fuck I wanted to help you come so bad when you asked me to earlier today on the couch" he swore.

I wanted to go back in time to the way my life was just two days ago, when I still had the dream of Jared. _I could still have it and more, couldn't I? _ Jared was kissing me. _Jared finally wanted me!_ I could still marry the perfect boy from the perfect family and give my perfect unborn children the perfect life I never had. I could still do that. _I could, couldn't I? _

I felt his strong hand insistently pressing its way in between my upper thighs, and I let my legs fall open to allow him entry. His growls and groans grew louder as his warm hand cupped over my sex through my now dampened sleep shorts.

I could pretend the last two days never happened. Pretend that I'd never slept with Paul; that I'd never learned Jared was a man-whore, his dad a cheater and his mom a Stepford wife.

_Oh, holy fuck!_ Jared was no blushing novice I realized as his fingers began deftly rubbing between my legs, hitting all the right spots. _Oh, god…oh, fuck…_

He was sucking and biting up and down my neck. "Just let me make you feel good, Kim." His voice was low and gruff. "Let me show you all the things I can do to you." I was panting; I was moaning.

_I could do this. All I had to do was let it happen._ I just had to let him make me feel good. I could pretend Jared wasn't a shape-shifting wolf. Pretend he didn't smell all wrong. _Pretend I hadn't fallen for Paul. Pretend...pretend…pretend…_

"Kim" He whispered my name like a prayer as his lips brushed over my ear. "I love you so fucking much, honey" he swore.

_**Oh God! What did he just say?**_ Try as I might, I couldn't pretend. Not even my imagination was that good.

"NO!" I pant shrieked, completely freaking out. "STOP!" I demanded, pushing against his shoulder with one hand and pulling at his hand against my crotch with the other. "_Stop it!_" I cried anxiously. He'd stopped instantly and was regarding me with deep concern.

"You don't love me, Jared!" I accused. Suddenly I felt on the verge of sobbing.

"But I _do_, Kim!" he avowed sincerely. "I _**do**_ love you!"

"You _don't_ _love _me" I clarified, "because you _don't_ _**know**_ me! You never bothered to…never _wanted _to…not until yesterday. And I know you're sorry for it but it still _hurts_…really hurts…and I can't pretend it doesn't."

"Kim, sweetheart, once we explain about the imprint, you'll understand. Believe me, I feel so fucking awful for ignoring you before but honey, you're my _imprint_ now, and that changes _everything_. You'll understand once Sam and the elders explain what it means to imprint" he assured me, stroking my hair.

I shook my head. "No! No I won't!" He was out of his mind. Knowing what that one silly word meant wouldn't change anything. _Not for me_. The fact he believed it would was beyond ludicrous.

"You have to leave, Jared." I pushed against his chest as he tried to hold me and comfort me. "Please? I just wanna be alone. I can't do this. I-I'm so tired" I pleaded desperately trying to hold myself together. "Please just give me some space?"

He finally left, but only after I'd promised to revisit this topic again after meeting with the tribal elders and learning about imprinting. I'd wanted to cry it out after he was gone, but found I couldn't. I'd reached a place beyond sadness, beyond emotion. I had the sense of this growing void within me, this increasing space of nonexistence that only manifested itself by marked physical pain through a burning ulcer in my gut, letting me know I was still alive…that I was still capable of feeling…if I chose to.

I lay awake, dead tired, staring up at my ceiling, when I heard another knock at my window, followed by the sound of it opening again. _Oh, geez!_

"Jared?" I tried to keep the irritation out of my voice.

A long, deep growl reverberated through my bedroom in answer before Paul's distinct baritone informed me "Nope, _wrong_ wolf, baby."

_Oh, fuck me! _

**A/N – Well now, what the heck is Kim's dad so distraught over? **_**Hmm**_**…if you'll recall in Chapter 2 Kim **_**did**_** say she'd "always felt a kind of **_**kinship**_** with Embry"—Muahahaha! Oh my, is La Push swiftly turning into one big bed in this story, or what? **

**I do realize her last name **_**Callaway**_** is a British surname, but Kim's dad is still a full-blooded Quileute, who therefore **_**could**_** have passed along the wolf gene to Embry. Just like Jared's dad is Quileute with the Scottish surname **_**Cameron,**_** and Leah & Seth's dad with the German name **_**Clearwater**_**. If Stephanie Meyer can give her Native American characters western European surnames then I get to toss around names like Darla, Gabby & Maggie and no one gets to question it, 'kay? ;) **

**So is everybody glad the Right Wolf finally showed up in Kim's bedroom? Lemonade stand ahead…**

**Thanks so much for reading! **


	13. Chapter 13  I'm your imprint!

**A/N – Yes, Kim and Embry are siblings this fic. No, I'm not Stephanie Meyer, I like sex too much. Beware lemon ahead! Look away all prudes and youngins, please, as Paul's inner wolf comes out to play a bit this chapter. ;)**

I could hear the blood pounding in my ears and I fought to get my heart rate under control as Paul's dark, looming figure stalked leisurely toward my bed.

"Kimmie…Kimmie…why so nervous?" he drawled.

"I…ah…" was all I managed. I was hit with a rush of his mouthwatering scent, both exciting and relaxing me at once.

He came to a stop just short of the side of my bed and crooked his finger, beckoning me to him. I swallowed. He was a shirtless god illuminated by the soft moonlight streaming in through my open window. My throat was so dry. _Did he know something? Was he mad? _ I was crazy aroused yet I felt slightly on the verge of another panic attack.

"C'mere, angel" he induced again. _He wouldn't have called me 'angel' if he was mad, right? _His expression was unreadable but his voice sounded tender.

I crawled shakily to the edge of the bed, inhaling deeply and greedily, in an attempt to quiet myself as well as satisfy some more primal need that was swiftly becoming overwhelming. I slid my legs over the side of the bed and tried to keep my knees from knocking together as I nervously rose to my feet and ambled forward until I was standing but a breath away.

The tips of his fingers felt electric as he reached out to touch my temple, gently tracing down my cheekbone to my jaw line. "I missed you" he breathed, his thumb rubbing back and forth along my lower lip. I thought I might melt into a puddle on the floor.

"Embry told me you had a rough evening" he continued softly. "You okay?" I nodded. "You wanna talk about it?" I shook my head. His fingertips trailed down the column of my neck to my collarbone. He stepped even closer, his heat and scent encompassing me as his other hand hooked around my waist, drawing me into a gentle embrace. "Might make you feel better?" he suggested, his lips pressing against the top of my head as his fingertips danced ever so lightly up and down across my back. I shook my head again.

My forehead fell against his warm, hard chest as I audibly sniffed him. I couldn't get enough of his essence. My lips pressed against his smooth skin once, twice…then again and again of their own volition. He hummed his approval. I resisted a wild urge to lick his chest.

"How's your back?" he asked as he began inching the hem of my tank up.

"S'okay" I dismissed.

"Let me see?" he asked after the fact, already carefully lifting my top up and over my head. I nodded anyway, crossing my arms over my now bare chest and turning around so that my back was to him. He growled his disapproval over what I assumed to be the state of my back as he inspected me with a feather light touch.

"I'm sorry you're hurting" he whispered against my temple as he drew my back into his warm chest. His arms encircled me; his hands uncrossed mine from where they covered my breasts and brought them down to my sides. "Why you still wanna hide from me, baby?" he murmured thickly as he brushed the rough knuckles of his hands in small circles over my hardened nipples. I melted against him as his huge warm hands continued to massage and explore my sensitive, aroused flesh. I couldn't stop breathing him in. His smell was overpowering. It was everything I had been longing for all afternoon and evening it seemed and I allowed myself to revel in it.

"Do I smell good to you, baby?" His hands seemed to be drifting and caressing everywhere now, lighting fires in their wake.

I nodded, allowing my eyes to flutter shut.

"Mm…you smell good too. Take your shorts off for me, sweetie" he instructed. Without hesitation I undid the drawstring waist of my shorts, letting them slip easily over my hips and down my legs to the floor. I heard him inhale deeply again.

"Mm…now tell me…" his one hand was molding and tweaking my breasts as his the other hand ventured down my stomach to slip over my now naked sex "is that wet for me?" he whispered low to my ear as his fingers slid over my slick folds "… _or wet for Jared?_" he questioned dangerously. My eyes flew open. _Holy shit, he knew? Fuckit, I could never catch a damn break! _

"I…no…um…I just…well…" I stuttered anxiously.

"You wanna talk about it now?" he offered obligingly again. I shook my head frantically.

He growled. "You _**sure**_ you don't wanna talk?" he groused.

"Uh n-noo, uh-uh" I confirmed. _Shit, he sounded so irritated._

"Fine" he spoke calmly but there was a terrifying finality to his tenor. "Then be a good imprint, bend over and spread your legs for me, Kimmie." His voice was gruff, his tone not to be contested. _Oh, fuck!_

Before I could even move to comply or not comply I was swiftly forced forward by his hand at the back of my neck, my cheek pressed firmly into the mattress. His legs came between mine, spreading me open from behind. His long fingers slipped up the back of my leg and I gasped as two sank hard and fast into my wet core from behind. I jerked up in response, causing the fingers of his other hand at my neck to wrap more firmly around my throat and press me harder into the mattress. I whimpered; my stomach fluttering with sudden panic at the vulnerable position he had me in.

Dominant human Paul had always been intimidating enough. Now knowing he could morph into a ginormous, fanged, supernatural wolf who slaughtered vampires in his spare time after school and on weekends was doing nothing to diminish my already significant fears and insecurities where Paul was concerned.

I struggled ineffectually against his hold again, causing his fingers around my neck to flex and tighten sharply once in warning. "Behave" he growled in a hoarse whisper. "I've told you I'll never hurt you" he reminded me, sounding cross about having to do so. _Damnit, he __**was**__ mad at me! I knew it!_ I shut my eyes and willed my body to go limp beneath him. "That's better." His warm mouth descending on my naked lower back, pressing kisses along my tailbone before his hot tongue licked up the length of my spine, making me shiver.

"I just need your trust, baby" he murmured so softly and longingly against my ear I wasn't sure at first if I'd actually heard it or imagined he'd said it. I held my breath, contemplating his words. "Will you give me that?" His sweet breath fanned across my face and a fresh wave of his tempting scent permeated my senses. "Please?" He kissed my cheek. "Please try?" he implored. I nodded as best I could given his hand shackling my neck. I felt dizzy. It seemed like such a small thing he was asking for and I was suddenly struck by a compulsion to give him everything and anything he wanted. It was true he'd never hurt me, and he always knew how to make me feel good. _Why couldn't I just give him my trust? _

_**Why couldn't I give him my trust? **__ Because he was a scary mother-fucking werewolf man-whore who had swiftly ruined all of my life plans, confused my feelings for Jared, was probably still in love with supermodel Leah and would ultimately only break my heart if I let him in? And damnit, I'd already let him in! _

_Imprint wasn't next wolf meal, imprint wasn't next wolf meal, _I reassured myself over and over again inside my head. It was the only assurance of anything I'd been given regarding this whole bizarre wolf and imprint situation.

His fingers pumped in and out of me forcefully, causing me to mewl and moan wantonly as my own fingers clawed and gripped the sheets. Despite my lingering soreness and my current trepidation I was beyond aroused and I flushed in embarrassment at the sound of how wet I was against his marauding fingers. My stomach coiled and burned in anticipation as his fingers became even rougher and more demanding, twisting and jerking and hitting pleasure spots deep within me I'd never felt before. I was practically screaming in ecstasy when he suddenly withdrew them from me altogether and I felt the cold air from my open window hit me where I was wet and overly sensitized again. I unabashedly wailed my disappointment and frustration.

I heard the distinct sound of his button and zipper coming undone, followed by the soft whoosh of his shorts dropping to the floor. _Yesss!_

"I'm gonna fuck you now, Kim" he stated simply. I felt my insides contract eagerly at his words. "Any objections?" I was speechless. _I wanted him to fuck me so badly I was hurting inside. _

I was expecting…_and hoping_…to feel him slam into me then, given the way his fingers had aggressively entered and stimulated me. But he didn't. I felt nothing but cool air against my dripping, open entrance for several tense moments. I opened my eyes. I stretched and arched my back as nonchalantly as I could manage as the anticipation became painful to endure, trying to angle and press myself back against him. It was to no avail; I felt only the increasingly cool air against my hot, throbbing center.

"Relax" he ordered gently, running his fingers lightly up and down my spine. "Trust that I'm going to take care of you."

_Shit! Was that code for he was going to make me suffer? _ I bit my lip and closed my eyes again.

"Breathe" he instructed as his fingers traced patterns between my shoulder blades. I took a shallow breath. "Again, baby."

I did as I was told and tried to breathe deeper and let go of my fears as his warm hand moved down to cup and squeeze my ass. "That's a girl" he encouraged as his fingers began exploring the cleft of my ass, gently rubbing back and forth and then circling over my anus.

_Oh, my god! Oh, hell no! Oh, shit! _ Leah's dire warning from earlier came back to me and my whole body tensed. _Did he mean to? Oh, shit, did he actually want to? What? How? Oh, my god! Oh, hell no! _

I let out a nervous cry. "Um…uh…are you gonna…I don't think…um…I want…I don't think I'd like it…you know…if…" I stammered nonsensically. _Oh, shit this was all kinds of awkward! That was supposed to be an exit only door!_

He chuckled darkly. "Relax. You shouldn't believe everything Leah says. I'm just stimulating and giving attention to all your erogenous zones" he explained glibly. "Wouldn't want to be remiss, that's all. Promise I'm not going anywhere you don't want me to" he assured. I released an exaggerated sigh of relief, causing him to chuckle again as he continued carefully caressing me in this odd, taboo new spot.

_Huh? _ It _did _feel sorta good? _Damn, I totally was some kind of perverted sexual deviant! _

"You feel that in your pussy, baby?" he questioned, his smooth deep voice like honey. Holy fuck I _did_ feel it deep inside me, making my clitoris vibrate and my inner walls ache even more for him. I nodded. I was truly desperate for him to be inside me now. I moaned and lifted up onto my tiptoes, pressing myself back into his stroking fingers.

"Shhh…you'll get what you want when I'm ready" he informed blithely. Just as I was starting to panic this was going to be a long, drawn out torture session, he began to rub the smooth tip of his big cockhead blissfully back and forth along my cleft where his fingers had previously played. I moaned my approval and arched back into him as much as his hand at my neck would allow as he guided himself back and forth between my openings, gradually picking up speed and pressure as his hard length became coated with the evidence of my arousal.

And then he stopped abruptly and withdrew again. _Argh! _

I wanted to cry as the cold air hit my wet, throbbing arousal. It occurred to me he was holding out because he wanted something from me. _But what was it?_ Did he want me to say something? _Did he want me to beg? _"Please?" I whispered tentatively.

He shushed me again. Was he mad like I'd suspected? _Did he want me to apologize? _"I…I'm sorry" I tried again, hoping it would win me some favor.

"What are you sorry for?" His tone remained casual…_too casual_. I couldn't get a read on him.

"Um…I'm sorry I picked Embry to stay with me?" It came out as a question.

"Why? Did you not have fun with Embry tonight?"

"Uh…no, I had fun." I answered truthfully.

"Then why be sorry, Kim?"

"Don't know" I gasped out as he rubbed the tip of his cock back and forth between my openings again.

"Don't apologize for things you're not sorry for" he advised sagely. He was pressing himself against me again. I didn't want him to stop so I blurted out another apology without really thinking.

"I'm sorry I kissed Jared?" It came out as another question.

"Mm…is that what you call that?" he drawled. Instantly I regretted bringing it up.

"Did you not like it?" he asked lightly. "Did you not tell him to stop when you'd had enough?"

"I did…I mean…I did tell him to stop when…" _Oh, shit, what was I trying to say? _Why had I opened my big mouth? Paul was probably baiting me again. _What trap was I walking into now?_ "I'm sorry…I'm just sorry…I…sorry…"

"Fuck, stop apologizing, Kim!" he admonished severely. I felt a sharp sting as his hand unexpectedly slapped against my ass cheek. I yelped in surprise. "I don't want you to tell me what you think _I _want to hear" he grumbled angrily in my ear. _Shit, I was so confused now!_ "I want to hear what _you're_ thinking" he emphasized, raising his voice. "Fuck, I want to know what you're _feeling_, damnit!"

My heart sputtered and then raced into overdrive. I was instantly sick with panic as his message sank in.

"Talk to me, Kim" he hissed. "If you can open your legs for me you can open your heart and your feelings to me a little too, don't you think?" I swallowed nervously. I could feel my heart hammering against my ribcage.

"_Fuck!_" he cursed harshly under his breath. Then he said more gently, "C'mon, baby." He licked and nibbled along my shoulder. "Give me something, sweetie. Give me _anything_…just let me in, please? Tell me something" he beseeched. "Just let me in that crazy head of yours."

"I'm scared?" I blurted out as another question.

"What else, honey?" he asked eagerly.

"I'm confused" I breathed.

"And?"

"I'm jealous…I'm angry…" I continued recklessly.

"More, Kim" he demanded. "Give me more specifics. Tell me why you're scared and confused."

"I'm scared I'm losing myself…my entire identity. I'm losing control of what I want." _Wow, it got kind of easier once I got going. _It almost felt…_good_…to unburden myself. _Or maybe it was his cockhead rubbing and pushing inside of me now that felt so damn good! _

"I don't know what's going on. I don't know what an imprint is. Everything I wanted in life is falling apart. " Suddenly I couldn't blurt it out fast enough.

"Good baby, keep talking" he grunted, shoving deeper inside of me, causing me to squeal as my walls fluttered around him. "The more you talk the harder I fuck" he coarsely and unnecessarily explained the rules. I was already familiar with his interrogation techniques. "Why are you jealous?"

"Ahhh…gah…" I wailed as he sheathed himself to the hilt inside of me. "I'm jealous of Leah…I'm jealous of Gabby…."

"Gabby means nothing" he growled, withdrawing partly and sinking unbelievably further into me again. "Fuck, you're impossibly tight from this angle" he groaned "feel so fucking good. Leah's my Alpha's imprint…that's all she is to me. Tell me what you're angry about" he pressed.

"I'm angry at my dad for pretending to be a concerned father after all this time." I squeaked as he hit a new spot deep within me. "I'm angry at Jared for breaking his promise and beating on Embry…and for being the man-whore of Forks."

"Ah, yeah…fucking get angry, sweetie…that's my girl" he encouraged, pumping harder into me as his fingers wound around my hip to fondle my pulsating nub.

"Aaah…ah god…oh fuck…" I started careening over the edge.

"Keep going!" he boomed.

"Ah…I'm angry at myself for making believe Jared was something different." I didn't know how I was even still talking. But I knew if I stopped Paul might stop. And I'd say and do anything to prevent that from happening now. _I was so damn close_.

"I'm angry at _you_" I panted "for being right that I don't know him." I gasped air desperately into my lungs as he pummeled into me, roughly rolling my hard clitoris between his fingers with renewed fervor. "Oh, god!" I screamed, coming apart. "…for being right… that I couldn't possibly… love someone I don't even know" I bucked and writhed against him as my insides clamped joyously over his thick length deep inside of me. I clutched at the sheets and screamed into mattress as the most violent orgasm I'd experienced yet rocked through me.

"Fuck, that's good, baby, fucking keep going" Paul growled as he plowed into me without pause, not waiting for me to come down from my inner explosion. "Tell me how fucking angry you are at me while you come on my dick again."

My insides were still fluttering and contracting around him as he drove mercilessly into me again and again. Everything felt so raw and sensitive, making me feel more vulnerable and yet more _alive_ than I'd ever felt. "Aaah…oh…gah…I'm angry you told me the truth about Jared's mom… and ruined my fantasy. I'm angry you called me out about my own mother."

"Give me more, baby" he grunted, jerking up hard inside of me. "Tell me more" he demanded aggressively, his hand finally abandoning its death grip over my neck to grasp my shoulder, yanking me off the mattress and firmly back against him with every thrust. _Oh, god, it was too, too much! But I didn't want it to stop. _And so my uncensored word vomit continued.

"I'm angry for wanting you so much!" I shrieked. "I'm angry for imagining you're sincere. For thinking that you could want the kinds of things from me that I'm starting to want from you." I really hadn't meant to divulge so much, but I got caught up in the moment of passion. Something told me I'd stumbled upon the wrong…or _right_ thing to say though as his grunts and growls became more feral, his hands on me more proprietary and demanding.

"Christ, I want everything from you, Kim." He slammed harder into me. "Fucking _everything!_" He growled viciously. "I want everything you are, understand?"

I didn't really understand anything except how huge and hard he felt ramming into me from behind in that moment. _And how insanely good it felt to have him filling me inside. _

"And you'll give it to me, honey" he vowed harshly, his voice low and gravelly as he jerked and pulled impossibly harder and faster in and out of me. "You'll give me _everything_, understand? You're my girl and you belong with me!" _Holy shit I was coming again already!_

"_Say it, Kim!_" he growled.

"I'm your girl!" I screamed, coming apart as my second orgasm tore through me. "Ahhh…I belong with you…oh, fuck meeeeee…oh, gah…I'll give you everything you want…_everything_…_anything_…oh god oh god…oh, Paul…oh fuck…" He pumped furiously into me two more times and then I felt him explode inside of me, his fingers digging hard into my hips as he buried himself as deep as he could possibly go within me. It all felt so good I wanted to cry. I collapsed forward onto my face into the mattress. His fingers stroked through my hair, brushing it away from my neck. My whole body was quivering.

"Mm…you will, baby" he whispered huskily into my neck, panting for air. "You'll give me everything I want" he promised fervently. "And I'll make you so happy you did." He kissed the back of my neck. I shivered at his intensity.

"You won't _kiss_ Jared again, will you, honey." It was a statement, not a question. I shook my head, wanting to appease him, but also meaning it in that moment. I was beyond any ability to use words. "Good" he licked the skin at the back of my neck "that's my good girl" he praised, sinking his teeth gently into my neck and sucking hard. I felt a tremor run down my entire body from the point where his teeth connected into my skin. His hand snaked between my hip and the mattress, finding and pressing against my pleasure point as I felt him lengthen and harden inside of me again until he was filling me, every hard ridge and pulsing vein pressing up against my already too sensitive inner walls. His teeth sank slightly harder into my skin, sending a pleasure filled jolt of electricity coursing through me. I moaned in ecstasy as his fingers slipped exactingly over my bundle of nerves. He growled and I felt his sharp teeth sink a little too deeply into my neck. He sounded like every bit the giant wolf I knew he had within him then as I cried out in a mixture of pain and pleasure. He hummed and sucked harder as his unforgiving teeth seemed to latch on and bear down even more determinedly. "_Hurts_, Paul" I managed to choke out as a weird panic suddenly filled me, breaking through my lust-filled haze "neck…hurts…"

His teeth instantly released their hold, his soft lips and warm tongue pressing and soothing against the spot where his teeth had been. "S'okay, honey" he soothed a little unsteadily "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Don't be scared. I didn't bite down too hard. You're okay." I had the oddest sense he was trying to reassure himself more so than me as he began moving inside of me, easing slowly but steadily in and out as his fingers worked me from the front. "I'm just getting you ready for when the time comes" he continued to clarify, "but I won't bite you until you ask for it, understand?" I nodded agreeably, even though I hadn't a clue what the fuck he was talking about.

_Imprint wasn't next wolf meal… Imprint wasn't next wolf meal… _

I was tired and spent and suddenly eager to come again. _This shit was crazy! _ I was more than willing to relinquish control to him as he pushed me forward onto the bed. Without pulling out of me he raised me up by my hips into a half kneeling position as he crawled behind me onto the mattress to kneel between my legs. I was completely limp and pliant in his grasp as he held me up by the hips and rocked me back and forth onto his hard length, slowly and gently at first, then faster and more urgently as my desperate moans and pleas for release filled the room.

"Tell me you're my imprint, Kim" he commanded suddenly. What? _Was he serious? I still didn't even know what an imprint was? _

"I'm your imprint?" I gasp questioned awkwardly, on the brink of my next inner explosion.

He groaned and I felt him twitch and swell impossibly bigger inside of me. _Oh, dear lord!_ I tried it again. "I'm your imprint." This time it was spoken as a statement rather than a question.

"Ah, fuck, baby" he swore, ramming into me and jerking his hips up so that he hit me hard and deep in just the right spot. "Fucking tell me again!" _Shit, this was all so weird._ I was certain now we were both twisted sexual deviants. _This couldn't be normal behavior? _

"Oh, god, I'm your imprint!" I shrieked as he slammed inside of me at inhuman speed. _"I'm your imprint. I'm your imprint!"_ I repeated over and over again as he pounded his length into me without mercy. _Shit, I seriously needed to find out what imprint meant!_ But for now I just continued to mutter the phrase nonsensically as my hot werewolf lover grunted and swore and fucked me senseless from behind, my insides shuddering and clamping down on him as I came two more times before he finally roared and spurted his own release inside of me.

When he was satisfied he'd emptied everything he had deep within me, he pulled out of me, allowing me to collapse into a messy, sweaty heap atop the mattress. He gently rolled me onto my back and I opened my bleary eyes to find him kneeling above me close to my face.

"Lick" he instructed abruptly as he straddled my shoulders and positioned his wet, semi-hard huge cock at my lips. My eyes flew wider in surprise and I hesitated for a moment, completely caught off guard and rendered slightly in shock. I had no idea what I was supposed to do. _And hadn't he just come already?_ _Twice? _ He chuckled softly from far above me finally. I was pretty sure I probably looked like an idiot deer in headlights. "Just lick our juices off of my dick, sweetheart" he elaborated. "Please? I don't wanna taste Jared's tongue in your mouth when I kiss you" he grumbled a little bitterly.

Huh? _OH! Ah, no wonder he hadn't even kissed me yet! _ A rush of guilt and embarrassment hit me and I blushed furiously.

"Quit blushing and just give it one good lick, Kim, it won't bite you" he teased, wagging it in front of my face playfully.

I rolled my eyes and pretending to be braver than I was, opened my mouth wide and swirled my tongue brazenly around the thick head of his cock. _Hmm…he tasted both sweet and salty._ I did it again. "Aw, fuck me" Paul breathed. The head of his cock twitched against my lips, inviting me to lick him again…s_o I did._ He groaned. Encouraged by his response, I got braver and lifting my head slightly off the mattress, sucked the whole mushroom head of his cock into my mouth, simultaneously swirling my tongue around and along the tip as I suckled gently.

"Shit, fuck _fuck_, Kim!" he swore, jerking forward, his hands grabbing the headboard for support as his cock sank deeper into my mouth until it hit the back of my throat. "_Fuck!_ That's good…that's it…that's enough now, baby" he told me in an authoritative, yet strained voice as he began to withdraw slowly. I whimpered in protest, gripping the backs of his huge, muscled legs just below his ass and sucking as hard as I could until he popped his now rock solid cockhead from my eager mouth. The effect I'd had on him was fascinating and so unexpectedly rewarding in more ways than I'd never imagined. It made me feel oddly…_powerful_…that I could do that to him. _That I might be able to cause him to lose control? That he might willingly give me control and let me pleasure him. _

"Fuck, you're becoming a naughty girl, Kimmie" he chided good-naturedly, moving with lightning speed to shift himself over top of me, his tongue plunging into my mouth where his dick had been, exploring every inch thoroughly as he kissed me roughly, finally breaking away only when I was panting breathlessly. "I like it" he teased, grinning broadly as he stared adoringly down at me, his body weight supported by his elbows and legs. I wrapped my arms around his neck and back. I wanted to feel his skin on me, his weight on me, pressing into me, so I attempted to pull him closer down to me.

He shook his head. "We gotta be careful with your back." He kissed me again when I whimpered my disappointment. "You've had a long day." He kissed my eyelids then proceeded to pepper my entire face with light kisses. "And we've probably done more than that sweet body of yours was ready for already." He grimaced slightly in concern. "Let's get you cleaned up and to bed, honey."

"Not tired" I argued, smirking and hooking my calf brazenly around his waist. "Not sore either" I lied, not entirely certain what in the hell had gotten into me.

"You'll be sore after I spank you for being such a damn cock tease" he warned jokingly, shaking his head. "Who knew I'd create such an insatiable sex kitten out of sweet innocent Kimmie Callaway?" he taunted, licking along the shell of my ear. "C'mon, honey…bath time."

_Bath time? _

He'd sprung off the bed and was out my bedroom door faster than I could blink. I felt the loss of him instantly as the cool air hit my damp flesh. I heard the water running in the bathtub moments later. He returned with a warm cloth and began to dab and wipe gently at the copious amount of fluids now flowing out of me from between my trembling, fatigued legs. _Wow, I really was sore down there._

"You get milk when you went to the store?" he asked unexpectedly.

Milk? _ What? Was he hungry?_

"Um…yea…why?"

Without answering he lifted me in his arms and carried me down the hall into the bathroom. Depositing me gently on the covered toilet seat he disappeared again and returned with a carton of milk which he poured into the bathwater.

He knelt before me and cupped my cheek in his hand. "Sweetie, I need to phase real quick in the backyard and check in with Sam. I'll be back in about five minutes. You okay?"

I nodded dazedly. I was so tired and suddenly very self-conscious under the harsh glare of the bathroom lights. "Get settled in the tub and I'll be back to check on you." He smiled his endearing, boyish grin that caused his right cheek to dimple and with a quick kiss to my forehead, he was shutting the door swiftly behind him as he made his hasty exit.

**A/N - So this is a slightly shortened chapter as I was forced to waste most of my week stuck at a corporate team building retreat. _(Can you say LAME?)_ More Kim and Paul to be continued next chapter.**

**Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! :) XXOO**


	14. Chapter 14  Fairy tales & Nightmares

**A/N – I don't own Twilight, I'm simply messing with Stephanie Meyer's story and characters. Thanks for reading and for all your kind reviews! :)**

**Random aside - My husband and son hit the opening of the new library down the street this afternoon and encountered Meredith Baxter Birney (of campy Lifetime Betty Broderick Story fame discussed in previous chaps). Lol! I thought that was a rather amusingly random sighting, right? _Who runs into Meredith Baxter?_ **

"_And they lived happily ever after!" My mother announced in her overly dramatic, enthusiastic inflection. "The end." She smiled down at me. "Did you like that one, Kimmie?"_

_I nodded enthusiastically. "I think I like that one the best" I admitted gleefully. "I love how the prince saves Snow White with a kiss" I gushed unabashedly. "He doesn't know who she is. But he loves her and kisses her anyway and she wakes up so they can ride off on his horse."_

_My mom tittered and rolled her eyes. "Oh, Kimberly, you're so foolish." She messed my hair playfully, then sighed and shook her head somewhat solemnly. "Sometimes I think though I should really stop reading you these stories."_

_My face fell. "Why, mommy?" I was genuinely baffled. "They're my favorite!"_

"_Because they're not real, baby" she elucidated. "And they send a bad message to little girls like you." _

_Girls like me? I frowned in confusion. What kind of girl was that? Why did I have a feeling it was going to be something not very good?_

"_Kimmie, listen to me" she took my chin gently in her hand, "most moms feed their daughters all sorts of nonsense about how beautiful, smart and wonderful they are." Her face twisted into a look of disgust and irritation. "Even when they're fat, homely and dumber than a doorstop." She pointed out. "But I love you and I refuse to lie to you." She shook her head. "It's just cruel what these mothers do leading their daughters to believe they're something special, only to grow up and find out they were lied to by the one person who above all others should have told them the truth about themselves."_

_I was so confused. Was Maggie's mom a liar? She always told Maggie and me how wonderful and beautiful we were. Was my teacher Mrs. Katz a liar too? She always said I was smart and such a pretty girl. _

"_That's why I'll never tell you those things. And I never want you to ever think you have any chance of living some kind of Disney fairy tale someday."_

_The expression on my five-year-old-face could only have been described as crushed._

"_Oh now, baby, don't be upset!" my mother soothed, pouting at my look of sheer devastation. _

"_Is it my glasses?" I asked; my voice cracking as I wiped a tear from my cheek. "Pretty girls and princesses don't wear glasses do they?"_

"_No! No, honey, you misunderstand me. I'm not saying that you're __**ugly**__!" she clarified, chuckling heartily at my lack of understanding. "Oh, for goodness sakes! No, darling, I would never say that!" She pinched the tip of my nose and smiled at my adorable cluelessness. It's just that you're never going to be anything very special to look at." _

_She winced and gave me a pitying look. "You're never going to be the kind of girl any prince charming type would go out of his way to rescue and make his own is all I'm saying. What I mean is… I don't want you to expect that any knight on a white horse is ever going to show up to take care of you honey. No one might even ever want to marry you. You need to be prepared for that possibility. So you shouldn't place any importance or expectation on any future with some adoring prince charming who doesn't really exist and who wouldn't look twice at you anyway if he did." She chuckled a little woefully, shaking her head. "Oh, my sweet little Kimmie, I'm afraid you're going to have to work awfully hard and really try to be smarter than you're naturally inclined to be." _

_I nodded sadly. _

"_Okay, baby?"_

"_Okay, mommy."_

_She beamed at me, messed my hair again and adjusted my glasses, looking exceptionally pleased by my doleful acceptance of my fate. _

A knock at the bathroom door shook me from my somber reverie. I hadn't contemplated that dialogue with my mother in years. There'd been numerous similar mother-daughter conversations with her in which she'd passed along her knowledge of myself and my limited potential in life, always for the sake of my own well being. She'd been so adamant about giving it to me straight and never lying to me. And I'd accepted what she'd said as prophecy for the most part. As much as I'd feared and hated her for the times she'd been a tyrant, in those quiet exchanges with her I'd invariably believed she had my best interest at heart.

Looking back I knew logically that much of the irrational, overly nasty things she'd said and done to me as a child during her many rants and rages weren't warranted, were simply spoken in anger and weren't probably appropriate things to say to a small child. I knew that's what Maggie was referring to. And I had consciously tried to let those messages go over the years. As for these other messages…her foretelling and imparting of motherly advice…I'd sometimes quietly hoped she'd just been wrong. But it had never occurred to me to actually dismiss them before as the wholly inaccurate ramblings of a depressed crazy woman as Maggie seemed to suggest.

These were the only memories I had where my mother had said she loved me. If I were to dismiss the painful advice she'd bestowed in those intimate conversations, wouldn't I have to reject all of it?

_Then again, how could she have known no one would ever love me? That no one would ever want me? Couldn't people change?_ There was always hope…the fool's ambition my mother had always refused to ascribe to.

Another knock sounded before Paul turned the knob and entered the steamy bathroom where I was slouched chest deep in milky warm water.

"Sorry" I mumbled, wondering how long I'd spaced.

"Thought maybe you'd fallen asleep for a minute" he smiled a bit cautiously "except your heart rate seemed too fast." His brows knit together. "You okay?"

"Yeah!" I reassured eagerly, forcing my lips to curve into a smile. "My mind just wandered for a bit is all. Everything okay with Sam?" I was still a trifle perplexed by this whole phase and communicate telepathically situation.

"Uh-huh…yeah." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Jacob Black phased earlier tonight" he explained rather stoically as he lowered into a seated position by the tub. "We've all been taking shifts working with him."

"Oh…" I nodded, not knowing what to say, not really wanting to ask what '_working with him_' meant. _Was it like training a puppy?_ _Except on how to dismember a vampire? _"So…so he's a wolf now too?"

"Yep" he answered succinctly. It didn't seem he wanted to talk about it. Looking at him under the unforgiving bathroom light I was reminded how much responsibility these He-Man boys were carrying. He looked so much older and unbelievably exhausted as I noted the dark circles under his eyes that I'd somehow missed before. _God, I really was selfish and completely self-absorbed. _

"I'm sorry" I whispered, without really intending to say it out loud.

He smirked. "What are you sorry for now, Kimmie?"

"I'm sorry you have to be a…w-_Protector_ and…you know…bear such a huge burden…that you never asked for."

He shrugged indifferently. "S'not so bad. Keeps me out of other trouble I'd likely get into and gives me a fun outlet for my pent up aggression." He winked playfully. I could tell he was trying to make light of things for my benefit.

"Where's your hairbrush, baby?" his smirk deepened. "That mophead of yours looks like hell."

"Um…over there in the drawer next to the sink."

He retrieved my brush and sat back down on the floor next to the tub. He twirled his pointer finger towards the ceiling. "Turn around." _Paul Lahote was going to brush my hair now? _

I drew my knees up to my chest and turned around so that my back was to him. He began to slowly brush through my tangled mass of hair. It felt exceptionally good and surprisingly intimate, even given the mind-blowingly personal acts we'd just performed in my bedroom. Soon my whole body was tingling. When he was done he smoothed it out and pulled it all over to one side, then gently pressed my head forward and down until my chin was tucked to my chest. I heard his sharp intake of breath as he fingered the spot on the back of my neck where he'd bit me.

"_Fuck_" he swore. I heard the clatter of the brush being tossed aside…seemingly across the room. He kissed the spot repeatedly and then proceeded to kiss all around it as he wrapped his arms around my shoulders. "I'm sorry, Kim" he murmured into my neck. "So sorry." He sounded so forlorn it was disconcerting. I turned myself around to look at him and found his black eyes were filled with regret and…_fear_?

"It's okay, Paul" I reassured him. "I promise it doesn't even hurt." He stared at me unseeingly. His reaction was beginning to freak me out. "_Really! _I _swear_ you didn't hurt me. _Please?_ Please don't be upset over it?" I begged. It made me markedly uncomfortable to see him look so distressed.

His palm lifted to caress my cheek. "You're an angel, know that?" _Shit, it almost looked like he might cry! _He looked completely lost in some sort of weird bout of self-loathing. I wracked my brain for the right thing to say, but he spoke again before I could.

"Kim, I'm part wolf now." His voice sounded hollow and so far away. "It's something I have to learn to live with." He looked down at the bathwater. "And for the most part it's okay. I've been able to find balance with my inner animal nature…or _spirit_…however you want to look at it. But sometimes my wolf's desires are overpowering." His eyes lifted back up to mine. "Sometimes it feels like my wolf's will is so strong it might eclipse my own." His words caused goose bumps to blanket my skin.

"Paul, you _didn't_ hurt me" I reiterated slowly and clearly, looking him directly in the eyes and trying not to sound as afraid as I suddenly felt. "It just startled me when…it just felt _different_…than before…when you bit me." _Oh, lordy that sounded super twisted._

He shook his head, lifting his other hand to the opposite side of my face. "I don't think my wolf would ever hurt you, Kim." He held my face lovingly in his huge strong hands, his long fingers delicately combing and massaging their way back into my scalp as he tilted my face up to him. "But I can feel how much he _wants_ you. Wants to _mate _with you, wants to _**mark**_you as _his_…just_…__**wants**_you_._"

I swallowed nervously. _Shit, that sounded serious._ His wolf _**wanted **_me? Aw, hell, Paul looked frickin serious about this. _Don't ask…don't ask…don't ask…_

"Your wolf doesn't want to eat me, does he?" I uttered in a small voice then grimaced at my own lack of courage and grace as soon as the words left my mouth.

But I was rewarded when Paul's distraught expression morphed into a wry grin. "Only what's between your legs, baby." He wagged his eyebrows. "My wolf's actually pretty _desperate_ to eat you out again." He grinned mischievously as he leaned in to kiss me, biting and sucking on my lower lip, then nibbling along my jaw line to my ear. "We're both really hoping you stay conscious the next go around" he whispered teasingly in that deep, sexy baritone of his, making my breath hitch as his hand drifted down into the bathwater and slipped between my legs. "Quit being so damn cute or I'll have to fuck you again" he promised huskily against my ear. It seemed the dour mood had magically lifted as my mind swiftly turned to mush. But then he had to bring up another sore subject as he withdrew his hand.

"You wanna talk about Maggie?"

I shook my head. I'd just been diligently trying _not_ to think about Maggie.

Paul nodded in acceptance after a pause. "You think your dad's coming back tonight?"

I shook my head. "He's got a couch in the office back at the shop that he crashes on." I shrugged indifferently. "Sleeps there more than here most the time anyway."

He smiled. "Good. I'll stay as long as I can then." His fingers traced along my upper arm to my collarbone. "I heard your dad was pretty mad about seeing Embry over here tonight." He grinned impishly. "When were you gonna tell me you and Em were dating?"

"Yeah...it was a bit much." I rolled my eyes. "I swear I've never seen him act like that before." And then another thought occurred to me. "Oh, by the way, I should tell you, um…I'm uh…not really…allowed to date, I guess…now…" As soon as the words left my mouth and I saw the distinctly amused expression on Paul's face I felt like the world's biggest idiot.

"I mean...oh, gosh…I didn't mean to _assume_…err…_imply_…you wanted to date me or anything! I just…I meant…" Oh my, gosh, I'd really stuck my foot in it. I could feel myself blushing like an imbecile as Paul smirked at me, an incredulous look forming on his face.

"No, no 'course not…you wouldn't want to be so presumptuous." He tipped his head to the side and raised one brow. "_Seriously_, Kim? Kim, I just fucked the ever loving shit out of you and told you I want everything you are. And you didn't think that included wanting to date you?"

"Well…uh…I guess…I just…didn't…" I was still floundering miserably and feeling even more embarrassed and awkward than ever when suddenly Paul's hand descended into the tub faster than I could almost see it move and splashed water straight up into my face. I squealed like a little girl as he grabbed my ankle and yanked, effectively dunking me under the water. I came back up sputtering and gasping for air, my long hair plastered against my face as Paul proceeded to tickle me mercilessly. I screeched and giggled and flailed like crazy, flinging water everywhere in the process.

"Stop!" I giggle shrieked. "Stop it!" I choked. I couldn't stop laughing.

"Oh, you want me to stop?" Paul mocked, continuing his assault. I couldn't believe how incredibly fast his hands were moving. It was like he was tickling me everywhere at once. "Is that what you want?"

My cheeks were starting to hurt and my belly definitely ached from laughing so hard. "_YES!_" I screamed between fits of giggles. "_Pleeeease _stop!"

Paul ceased his attack and hauled me up by my elbows into a fully upright seated position. I enjoyed the sound of Paul's own melodious chuckling as I struggled to get my breathing under control. "Okay, okay…I'll stop" he agreed, his fingers gently brushing the wet clumps of hair from my eyes "but _only_ if you promise to date me, Kim."

I giggled, blinked and wiped the remaining drops of water from my eyes. Once my vision was fully clear I looked into Paul's smiling countenance and found his dark eyes to be utterly serious. _Shit, he was for real? _I felt the smile fall quickly from my face and saw his grin diminish.

"I realize you're not gonna get over your lifelong obsession with Jared overnight." His smile turned rueful. "And Sam" he rolled his eyes "Sam thinks you still need to spend time with Jared too until we figure out this imprint situation." He sighed. "But I do want to date you…_exclusively_" he clarified. "I want us to _try_…" now he was the one to look awkward and unsure of himself as he ran a wet hand nervously through his hair. It was such an unfamiliar look on him it made me uncomfortable just to see him this way. "I want us to be a couple, Kim." He winced a little at his own words, as if he was embarrassed to be saying them. "I know it's all happening pretty fast for you, but I do." His hand found mine in the cloudy milk water and he brought it up to his lips. "I want to be your boyfriend, Kim" he stated solemnly, pressing slow kisses along my wet knuckles.

I gave a little nervous giggle after a beat, still thinking perhaps he was being facetious. He was always teasing me for being too gullible. His expression was completely sincere though as his thumb rubbed back and forth across the back of my hand. I was dumbfounded.

"You can say something anytime now" he reminded gently, looking a bit worried.

"O-_kay_" I finally whispered.

He smiled tentatively, his eyes still squinting with uncertainty. "_Okay?_"

"Okay, I'll date you." I couldn't believe I'd actually said it! _I couldn't fathom how any of this was actually happening? How any of it could ever work! _ I knew I was a loser and a total dork for doing it but as the most beatific smile I'd ever seen erupted across Paul's features I suddenly felt compelled to word vomit exactly where I stood so that he would know just what an idiot he'd be dating.

"But you should know I've never dated anyone before!" I rushed to inform him. "And I don't know the first thing about being a girlfriend!" I continued frantically. "I've never even been out on a date!" I confessed eagerly. "Well…except for this one time in California with Alison as a double date but it was really just a 'friends' thing" I blathered with giddy excitement. "And I have to honestly tell you I don't think we fit together or understand why you like me because you're part of the beautiful people's club and I'll never be and also you dated Leah and she's like the most gorgeous, smart, most confident self-assured girl I know and I bet she was great in bed and I seriously have no idea how to give a blow job!" _Oh, holy fucking hell!_

I clapped both hands over my mouth in horror to stop myself from saying anything else and swiftly dunked my head underwater to hide my red-faced shame. Just as I was starting to blow out bubbles between my fingers and contemplating how long I could stay under before I drowned, Paul scooped me out of the water and completely out of the tub, pulling me easily onto his lap, completely drenching him and dripping water everywhere.

He swept my sopping wet hair from my eyes and held my chin so that I was forced to look at him directly as I blinked the water from my lashes. "Kim, I've never really dated anyone before either" he admitted softly and so sweetly. "I have no clue about how to be a boyfriend. I told you before I don't have romantic feelings for Leah." He stated earnestly. "And I think you're the most fuck hot, gorgeous girl I've ever laid eyes on." He grinned and let his eyes trail over my wet, bedraggled naked frame before returning to gaze worshipfully at my face. _Taha Aki, he had to seriously be on crazy pills to be looking at __**my**__ face like that! _

"As far as blow jobs go, you were doing better than fine at it for a novice less than an hour ago and I _promise_ I will be more than happy to coach you through many, many, _**many**_" he emphasized enthusiastically "practice sessions until you get it down absolutely, _perfectly_ fucking right!" He crashed his lips against mine then, thankfully silencing any further lame confessions or retorts I might have felt compelled to voice.

After I'd showered and changed into a new set of sleep shorts and tank Paul tucked me into bed and then went to shower and check in with Sam one more time. I'd been asleep but stirred from early dreamland when I felt the mattress give beneath Paul's weight as he sank into bed and sidled up next to me where I lay on my stomach. I croaked out a tired moan of acknowledgement as his warm hand began to drift lightly back and forth across my back, underneath my tank top, his fingers barely touching as they danced aimlessly, drawing intricate patterns I couldn't decipher against my sensitive skin.

I peeked an eye open to find him casually propped up on one elbow regarding me pensively as he continued his soothing caress.

"What are you thinking?" I knew it was probably a fool's question but some inner compulsion caused me to murmur the words nonetheless.

He hesitated. "I was just remembering how you looked at your mom's funeral."

_What?_ Both my eyes were now wide open. "You were at the funeral?" I squawked, incredulous.

He nodded. "Most the rez was there, honey. We like to bury our own you know."

I bit my lip and nodded minutely in response. I didn't really remember much from that day. I wanted to ask what I'd looked like but decided against it in favor of another question I'd been contemplating all afternoon that my sleep deprived brain was now apparently brave enough to ask.

"How…how'd you know I hated her?"

He exhaled slowly. "Well, there were lots of indications, baby." He laid his head on the pillow next to mine so that our faces were inches apart. "But I knew mostly because you told me in fourth grade on my first day at Quileute Tribal School."

"_What? _ No, no I didn't! _Did I?_" How could I possibly have forgotten so much? Forgotten something like that?

He nodded, tucking my hair behind my ear. "I'll never forget. My dad had packed a super crappy lunch for me that day. You know, being busy and all trying to get settled in a new town and starting a new job. So I wandered off to eat by myself at lunchtime at the picnic tables outside…kinda embarrassed about my being the new kid showing up with the dumbest lunch ever." He shook his head, smirking in remembrance. "I knew some idiot would say something and I'd promised my dad I wouldn't hit anyone my first day at a new school. So I was outside, just minding my own" he grinned and scrunched up his nose "eating a big bag of carrot sticks complemented by a messy ziplock bag full of ketchup for dip."

I started chuckling, making a disgusted face in sympathy for his plight.

"Yeah, pretty gross" he sighed, smiling wide. "So you walked outside with your lunch. I thought you were pretty weird at first, hiding behind your big glasses with your hair covering most of your face; looking lost in your own world. You sat down at the far opposite end of the table and didn't really acknowledge me even though we were the only two people outside sitting there. I was working up to making some rude comment 'cause I'd just caught you staring at my pathetic meal when you suddenly told me you loved carrots with ketchup."

"I did?" _What in the world? I couldn't possibly have said that? _

"Yep" his grin deepened, the moon lighting my favorite dimple. "Then you asked me where I moved from. I told you I'd just moved from Tacoma with my dad 'cause my folks had divorced. You asked where my mom was and I said I didn't know, didn't care, it was just me and my dad. I was expecting you to give me some pitying look or say you were sorry like everyone else did. But I'll never forget, you just looked at me through those big ugly glasses, gave me this wistful, goofy little smile and said, "_You're so lucky._" He'd enunciated those three spoken words in his retelling as if they were the most meaningful, profound words ever spoken to him.

I blinked at him in shock. _Had I really said that? My god, how horribly inappropriate! What had I been thinking? _

"At first I thought for certain I'd stumbled upon the resident weirdo kid." His thumb traced my bottom lip. "You seemed to fit the profile. But then you just went back to eating your lunch, didn't talk, didn't even look at me again. And I realized you weren't the lone outsider desperately trying to make friends with the new kid before everyone tipped him off you were a crazy. You were just…_you_. You simply wanted to do your own thing and have your own space."

It was true I never really talked a lot or made much of an effort to make friends at school, especially at that age. Maggie had kind of attached herself to me in preschool and had done most of the work in our friendship in our younger years. _Perhaps in more recent years too… if Maggie's accusations were to be believed. _

He shrugged, smiling. "I thought you were pretty interesting after that introduction. Pretty damn cool actually. I mean, it's not every day you meet a girl who likes carrots with ketchup, tells you how lucky you are your mom abandoned you and then ignores you as if she couldn't care less. Guess my fourth grade self found your crazy mind game playing pretty hot, baby." He wagged his eyebrows.

"I wasn't playing mind games, honest!" I professed in my defense, lest he be serious. "I don't know the first thing about playing games."

"I know, baby" he chuckled. "And that's what makes it even hotter. What makes you even sweeter" his lips pressed gently to mine. "What makes my wolf wanna carry you back to our cave and devour you like the best imprint meal we've ever laid eyes on." He snarled playfully and nipped at my neck, then nibbled on my ear. "Mm…I fucking love me some imprint ear for dinner." I started laughing and swatted at him for teasing me as he rolled me carefully onto my back and positioned himself hovering over top of me. "And imprint shoulder" he scraped his teeth along my shoulder to my collarbone, then his mouth worked its way down to the swell of my chest "and imprint breast." His mouth closed over my nipple atop my tank then he pulled the offending fabric aside, licked and sucked all over my bosom as he hummed his appreciation. "_Fuck, Kim_. I thought you were beautiful before you went away for the summer but I gotta admit… these perfect tits you developed overnight have got me so fucking hard for you I can't think straight half the time."

I moaned as the pressure promptly began to coil and build in my lower abdomen, my hips lifting off the mattress seeking friction as I wrapped my arms around his torso. "Uh-uh" Paul groaned against my hardened, wet nipple as he pressed my pelvis back to the mattress. "Sleep, baby" he reminded. "You gotta sleep now." He righted my tank and pecked my swollen lips.

_Seriously? _I scowled my disappointment. I **was** tired. But now I was tired and uncomfortably horny. He sniggered at my surly countenance. "Baby, believe me" he kissed my nose, then my forehead. "I'd like nothing better than to go another ten rounds with you right now, have you in every manner and position ever contemplated, but we gotta let you recover first."

I grumbled as he rolled me over onto my side, facing me away from him and spooning me from behind. "Sleep, Kimmie" his voice was still amused as he wrapped one arm around my waist. His other hand drew my hair to the side and he slowly and tenderly pressed kisses to the sore spot on the back of my neck until sleep claimed me.

It was a different bodily urge altogether which awakened me much later during the night. I rolled over in bed as gingerly as possible so as not to wake Paul and crept silently down the hall to the bathroom. I cringed as the splash of my urine streaming into the toilet bowl echoed through the silent, still house. Not bothering to flush for fear of making even more noise and waking him for sure, I turned the faucet on at the lowest stream possible that still allowed me to soap and rinse my hands, then crept silently back to my bedroom. As I entered my room I noted the window was shut. _Why had Paul shut it? _ I was unbelievably hot already so I tiptoed across the room to reopen the window. As I carefully flipped the latch and was just about to raise the pane, the loud crash of my dad's bedroom door slamming shut startled me to the point I literally jumped. _What the hell? My dad had actually come home? Shit fuck fuck!_

Before I had a moment to think, let alone react, my bedroom door was flung wide open. It banged noisily against the opposite wall. _What the holy fuck? My dad always knocked!_

I stared disbelievingly at the faceless figure shrouded in darkness just outside my doorway as it stepped forward into my bedroom and into the glow of the moonlight.

Her eyes were fierce, lit with the same insanity whose source I had never fully comprehended. What was she doing here? She was gone! _She was dead._ And yet she was here…looking scarier and more livid than ever. My hapless mind was at a complete loss.

_No! This couldn't be happening! What would Paul say when he saw her? What would she say to him? He wouldn't like me anymore once she got through telling him about me. _

"How am I supposed to sleep with all this racket going on in here?" she scolded viciously, her all too familiar terrifying voice causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. She flipped on my bedroom lamp switch, the glaring light from which suddenly blinded my vision with the force of what seemed like the sun.

"If _**I**_ _can't sleep_, _**NO ONE GETS TO SLEEP!**_" she thundered at the top of her lungs. I felt the walls of my bedroom shake around me with the force of her anger as my eyes struggled to adjust to the intensely bright light. Her feet were heavy as they stomped into my room, her arms crossed over her chest as she turned the full thrust of her anger towards my bed. Oh, no! _Paul! She would wake Paul! He would see her crazy like this. He would know. I had to stop her!_

My eyes flew to the bed, expecting to land on Paul's immense, muscular frame. But instead they found a small, slip of a girl stirring from sleep beneath a sea of blankets. Her bleary and bewildered big eyes soon widened in horror as they beheld the sight of my mother in all her raging glory.

"I'm sorry! Sorry mommy…sorry, sorry…sorry" she stammered without pause, her rudely awakened mind befuddled yet already consumed with a bizarrely familiar panic as she rambled on with apologies that seemed born less out of comprehension of the situation at hand and more simply out of rote.

Oh, god…it was **_me_**.

"_**Sorry?**_" my mother screeched accusingly. "I'm the one who's **sorry!" **She began throwing and slamming whatever she could get her hands on. Toys, clothes and books went flying all over the room as little Kimmie struggled to get her bearings, her sleepy eyes still squinting against the bright light as her hand fumbled across the surface of the nightstand in search of her glasses. "Sorry I have to slave taking care of _you_ all day long. Cooking and cleaning up after you! Making my ungrateful little girl her breakfast, lunch and dinner! Washing your majesty's dishes and clothes and making your bed! Helping you with homework you'd never understand on your own. Everything I do is for you! My whole goddamn life revolves around you and your selfish needs! But do I get to sleep after a long day of slaving and living my life to take care of _you_ and your worthless father? _NO!_ I can't get any sleep because you're up all hours banging cabinets and running water in the goddamn bathroom in the middle of the night!"

_But I didn't run the water loud enough to hear! I never even opened one cabinet! I knew better! _My mind instantly screamed in contradiction to her words.

_Fucking Christ! _I'd heard this same speech, lived variations of this same exact scene throughout my childhood way more times than I ever cared to remember back in the days when I lived in mortal fear of having to urinate during the night. It suddenly dawned on me I was having a nightmare!

Sweet Jesus what a relief! I just had to wake myself up. I didn't need to relive this. It was all this stupid talk about my mom with Maggie and Paul that had triggered this shit. But it wasn't real. It was the past. _And she was dead. Dead and buried. Nothing but an outdated nightmare. _

I closed and opened my eyes repeatedly, hoping it would jar me awake. No luck. I ran from the scene in the bedroom, down the hall and out the front door where I was met by a shirtless Jared on a white horse.

"Kim!" he called to me, holding out his hand. "Come away with me and be my fairy tale imprint, Kim" he beseeched. _Oh, Jesus Christ! _

I ran back through the front door into the house, only to collide with another shirtless Jared, this one clad in nothing but boxer briefs. Before I knew what was happening I was in his arms, my legs wound tightly around his torso as he kissed me deeply and ground himself into me up against the wall. _And it felt good! Really, really good! _

_Shit, why was I doing this? _I was with Paul! I had just agreed to be Paul's girlfriend. _Why was I letting this happen? _Even in my dream it seemed wrong. _And yet felt so good._ I broke away from the dream Jared, gasping for air.

"I can't do this, Jared. I love Paul!" The shocking choice of words I'd just spoken jolted me. _What? _I struggled to disengage myself from Jared's embrace as he chuckled softly.

"Oh, Kim, honey. You've _always_ loved _me_, _always_ wanted _me_. And now you're my imprint. Just let me love you, sweetie. Let me make you feel good like you've always wanted me to" he whispered seductively in my ear. _ Shit, why were his words still tempting to me? This wasn't what I wanted. Was it? _

"Let me go!" I squealed in desperation. He instantly released me and I rushed back down the hallway, bumping smack into Jacob Black's startlingly large frame.

"Do you have any idea the statistics on reservation teen pregnancies, Kim?" he questioned superciliously. _I didn't have fucking time for this shit! This was the longest, most irritating nightmare ever! _

Without a second thought I punched him squarely in the face. My fist hurt like I'd just hit a brick wall but to my delight and satisfaction Jacob stumbled backwards to the ground from the force of the blow.

I ran straight back to my dad's bedroom, flung open the door and found Embry kneeling in front of Bella Swan, who was seated on the edge of my Dad's bed. Embry was diligently bandaging her hand but they both looked up at me upon my entrance. Bella smiled brightly and giggled as she held up a bloody hand that was missing one digit, explaining, "I cut my finger, Kim!" Embry threw back his head and laughed as if she'd said the funniest joke he'd ever heard. _Ewe!_

I flew from my dad's room back down the hall to the kitchen, where I was met with another hauntingly familiar scene I had no interest in reliving again. An eight year old Kimmie was in the kitchen trying to help her mother prepare dinner…_and failing_.

"Are you stupid? That's tomato _paste_! I said _sauce_, Kim!" She yelled as Kimmie's shaky hand held a can up for her mother's inspection. "Christ, do I have to do everything myself? Get me the big can of tomato _sauce_!"

_Damnit, why didn't I wake up?_ I couldn't watch this part…I hated this part. Little Kimmie scrambled back to the cupboard, her eyes frantically surveying the shelves, welling up with tears as her mom demonstrated her frustration by slamming pots and pans around on the stove top.

"Christ almighty! Bring me the damn sauce!" she thundered, shaking the sharp carving fork she'd been using to turn the roast with angrily in the air.

It was right there! I could see it clearly on the shelf right in front of little Kim's face. _Damnit, why __**was **__she so stupid? _ _Why couldn't she just see it? _ Why did she have to get so nervous and flustered and become such an idiot? _Why did she have to be so…__**me**__?_

It was right there in front of her and she couldn't even see it. It happened every time. She knew what would happen and yet she still didn't see the stupid sauce. She just kept crying and staring blankly at the cupboard until her vision was so blurry she had no chance of seeing anything. I wanted to scream at her, tell her where the sauce was…_right in front of her fucking face!_ But I couldn't…_wouldn't_. As there was a stranger, sicker part of me, that didn't want her to find it…that wanted to see her get what I knew was coming…wanted little Kim to know what an imbecile she was…would always be.

"_**Ugh!**_ Damnit, Kimberly!" My mother finally shrieked, losing all patience with the foolish little dimwit that I was. She bounded over to the cupboard, grabbed the large, glaringly obvious can of tomato sauce sitting directly in little Kim's line of vision off the shelf and brought it within inches of her face. **"Do you see it now?"** She shouted then smacked the can against little Kim's forehead so hard it knocked her backwards to the ground.

Though I was watching it happen and knew it was coming, remembered all too well what those cans felt like, I didn't expect to _feel_ it. It was a dream and it was happening to the child version of me. I was just the observer. _But I did feel it._ A searing, crippling pain shot through my head from the point between my eyes where the can had hit little Kim. It felt as if my brain might actually be severed in two.

Little Kim was on the floor, gracelessly wailing now, doing a markedly pitiful job of controlling her tears of idiocy. _Goddamn her! _ _I wouldn't feel sorry for her._ It was her own stupid fault! That can had literally been right in front of her damn face! The more she sobbed the worse my head throbbed and the more I despised her for crying…for being weak…for being a complete idiot and thus the cause of all my suffering. And then she had the fucking audacity to turn and look at me. _Look at __**me! **_Her big helpless eyes swimming with tears like she wanted _my_ _help_! What? _She wanted me to help her? _ I wanted to throttle her. I wanted to brain her in the head with every can there was in that cupboard.

_Fucking idiot little dream Kimmie stop crying before you split my head in two!_

As I was cursing little Kimmie inside my pounding head, a freakishly loud howl reverberated through the kitchen. Suddenly the kitchen was in the middle of a darkened forest surrounded by large fir and spruce trees, except the forest floor was still covered with our kitchen's ugly patterned linoleum. I saw the outline of an enormous wolf in the distance approaching through the trees. Judging from his carriage and the way he was growling, he didn't appear to be friendly. _At least, he didn't look too pleased with me or the scene playing out in the kitchen._

_Was it Paul's wolf I was seeing in my dream?_ Why did he look so angry with me I wondered as he snarled in my direction? With every vicious growl the burning sensation in my belly seemed to intensify. I was fairly certain my dream ulcer was about to literally burst into flames.

The more the wolf howled, the more my stomach burned. The more my gut felt like it was exploding from the inside. _Fuck! _ I fell to the ground, doubled over in agony from the tearing sensation in the pit of my belly. The ulcer was on fire, it would surely burn a hole straight through me.

Suddenly I heard a distant, piercing scream. It sounded like it was coming from deep in the forest. "Help me, Kim!" It was Maggie's voice. She sounded desperate and so scared. "Help me!" she screamed again.

_Help her? Help Maggie? _I couldn't even help my eight-year-old dream self from being brained in the head with tomato sauce cans.

Between little Kimmie's sobbing tearing my head apart and the wolf's growling tearing my stomach apart, I was writhing in agony on the kitchen-forest floor, on the hideous yellow-orange linoleum I loathed so much.

I didn't think I could stand the pain anymore when suddenly Paul's chiseled features appeared above me. _Paul had arrived in my dream! Finally! _

"Help!" I croaked out to his towering frame. "Please, help me?" I cried.

He tilted his head, regarding me strangely. He looked concerned. But then the concern faded from his face to be replaced with fear…then it morphed into horror…then rage…and finally settled on…_disgust_.

"_Bitch!_" he hissed viciously.

_NO! Oh, god, this was the worst nightmare! _I felt tears burst from my eyes. _Why wouldn't it fucking end already? _

Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, gorgeous Leah Clearwater appeared by Paul's side and draped a slender arm around his shoulders. She shook her head at me. "You can't cheat fate, Kim." She held up a thin, rectangular note between her fingers and quirked one delicate brow. "Forget to tie a loose end?" She released the note and it drifted down to land atop my belly where it swiftly ignited into flames.

Paul and Leah walked off arm in arm to be replaced by my mother's frighteningly triumphant form above me. "I tried to tell you, Kimmie." She reprimanded, shaking the carving fork at me. "I told you the harsh truth because I loved you. You'll never be a fairy tale princess." She smiled condescendingly. "No Prince Charming is ever going to ride a minute out of his way to save you, darling."

Her eyes flashed bright red and she twirled the long, sharp carving fork in her hands. "You'd just better be fucking ready" her voice had taken on a musical lilt that was no longer my mom's, "_to save yourself._" I screamed as she bent and stabbed the carving fork firmly into my gut, her laughter ringing out like a bell.

I awoke in my bed in a puddle of sweat. The phone on my nightstand was ringing, the dim light of dawn was breaking through my open window, and I was all alone.

**A/N – Thanks for reading! Have a great week! :)**


	15. Chapter 15  Popular imprint in demand

**A/N – So I know I told some of my reviewers there'd be smut this update but I just didn't have time to get through all the editing that needed to be done for this chapter. So now the smut's been pushed to Ch 16. Sorry, it's that whole career thing I've committed to getting in the way again.**

**I realize the last chapter was a little confusing and crazy. Parts of it were meant to be. And I'm afraid this chapter might not be that much different. I promise it will all make sense eventually…I think. Thanks for sticking with it! :)**

I fumbled for the house phone's cordless receiver on the nightstand. In my disoriented state it took me a second to figure out how to press the "talk" button and manage a sleepy greeting.

"Kim?" an overly alert, familiar female voice seemed to shout from the receiver. "It's Aunt Susie."

"Oh, sorry…"I croaked groggily "flight got in safely." _Could I just hang up now I wondered?_ The last thing I wanted was to chat on the phone right now.

"I know, honey. We spoke three days ago." She sounded entirely too coherent for just after 4am.

"Oh…right." Silence ensued. _What the hell? _"Aunt Susie?" I prompted.

"Did I wake you?" she asked stupidly.

"Nah" I snorted, remembering Susie awoke absurdly early to catch the action oversees when the European stock markets opened or some such nonsense.

"Sorry, honey! Listen, I couldn't sleep at all last night." I found that comment funny because I wasn't entirely sure she ever slept at all anyway. She released a heavy sigh. "Your father called me late in the evening." _Oh, Jesus, what the heck now? _"Kim, can I talk to you about this Embry boy you were hanging out with yesterday?"

"We're **not** dating!" I groaned, probably a bit rudely. _Could I go back to sleep now? Maybe have a sunshine and rainbows dream to make up for the last one? _Susie was all for the heart to heart convos. I was so not interested. It felt like I'd had more heart to heart's in the last 48 hours than I ever needed to have in a lifetime.

"_Really? _Are you _sure_?" she interrogated. "You don't like Embry at _all_? You know you can tell me anything, right, and I won't judge you for it?"

"Yes, we're **not** dating! I **don't** like him like that at all, Aunt Suz, I promise. Geez, I don't know why dad's making such a big deal about this! Or why you had to lose a night's sleep over it? Is everyone that freaked out about me dating? You've let Alison have boyfriends since she was fourteen!" I complained. I'll be seventeen in three weeks and I can't imagine what the big-"

"So you_ are _dating him?" she interrupted. I wanted to scream and throw the phone across the room.

"NO!" I shouted. "I'm NOT DATING EMBRY CALL!" I briefly wondered if it was simply my disturbing, restless night of sleep or the after effects of the Xanax making me so cranky still. I'd never yelled at Aunt Susie before. _But what the fuck did she expect when she called to interrogate me at 4am? _

"Shoot, I'm sorry, honey. I know it's early and you must be tired. This is just rather important" she apologized cryptically. I rubbed my eyes as I waited for her to enlighten me.

"Listen, Kim. Your father's not perfect. You know that right?" she began. _Oh, my god, was she serious? _I'd probably gotten over any initial delusions about my father being perfect when I was three days old. "I know children grow up thinking their parents are perfect and sometimes it's hard to come to grips with the fact that they're just human and flawed like everyone else." _How long was this speech going to be? I should probably just get up and start making coffee._ My chances of getting back to sleep seemed about nil now.

"Spit it out, Aunt Suz!" I erupted.

"Okay, well, your mom was super depressed during her pregnancy with you and even more so after your birth. And well, she blamed your dad for her unhappiness and wasn't exactly easy to live with back then." I yawned. _Did she think these would be shocking revelations to me?_

"So, um…your dad sort of… was lonely and lost during that period and… well…he cheated on your mom with Embry's mom." The line went dead silent.

I didn't breathe. _What was she saying to me? My dad cheated on my mom?_ My mouth fell open. I'd never imagined he had the balls.

"Honey? Kim?"

I started laughing. _So fucking what?_ I'd lost my virginity and learned vampires and shape-shifters were real in the last 24 hours or so. Why would learning my dad was a cheater freak me out at this point? Truth be told, the revelation was fairly hilarious.

"I'm…listen, its…_whatever_…I don't care, Aunt Susie" I chuckled in response. "But just because things might be awkward between my dad and Embry's mom is no reason Em and I can't hang out." More dead silence. "Aunt Susie?"

"Um…it's more than an awkward situation between your dad and Ms. Call, honey. Your dad is Embry's biological _father,_ Kim…Embry is your half-brother." _She really had no fucking tact._

I stopped breathing. My mind went blank and the phone went dead as I hung up the call. I stared unseeingly at the wall. I couldn't process this right now. Couldn't handle what it meant. Didn't want to confront how angry I suddenly felt at the knowledge I had a sibling all this time and that he had been kept from me because the adults involved were too selfish and irresponsible to own up to the truth all this time.

I mechanically went through the motions of showering and dressing for school. The house phone continued to ring off the hook but I ignored it. Aunt Susie could leave me a hundred messages for all I cared. If my dad hadn't suspected Embry and I were dating and been therefore worried we might commit incest, would anyone have ever even told me? Embry and I had deserved better than this bullshit.

I didn't remember the drive to school. I ignored the speculative looks and whispers as I made my way through the halls. Jared wasn't in my 1st period class. Neither was he in my 4th period. Embry and Paul were also conspicuously absent from school it seemed. _Training their new wolf cub I presumed? _

By lunchtime I had completely emotionally detached and disassociated from the call I'd had with Aunt Susie that morning, from the conversation I'd had with Maggie yesterday, and from the nightmare I'd had last night. I didn't have time to think or feel these things. I didn't have space for any of these revelations. I'd barely spoken a word to anyone at school unless I'd had to in class. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I didn't want to connect on any level. I just wanted to be alone. Except I couldn't deny I wanted to see Paul. More importantly, _I wanted to __**smell**__ Paul. __**Needed**_ to smell Paul!

_Taha Aki I was all kinds of fucked up!_

I sat at an empty table in the cafeteria and proceeded to pick at my "turkey" sandwich I wasn't entirely convinced was made from actual turkey. To my surprise I was soon joined at my table by Jared's friend and football teammate, Alec. He and his entourage of football players and groupies descended upon me and swiftly took up the whole table. _Had I accidentally sat at their regular spot?_

I started to gather my things, intending to relocate myself when Alec, who'd seated himself directly across from me, put his hand on my wrist. "Hey, where ya going?" he smiled affably. "I just got here." _What? _

"Um…I can eat somewhere else" I offered, completely perplexed as to what the deuce was going on.

"Why would you eat somewhere else? I sat here so I could have lunch with you." I was almost too dimwitted and inexperienced to pick up on the flirtatious glint in his eye.

"Um…_okay_…" I was seriously confused. "I'll just eat somewhere else" I repeated lamely, rising from my seat.

Alec held firmly to my wrist, tugging me back down when I tried to stand. "No! No, please. Stay and sit with me, Kim" he entreated eagerly. I was too tired and numb to argue so I sat down and resumed eating my sandwich. _Whatever…virtually nothing made sense anymore so why should this be an exception?_

"So how was your summer? Heard you were in Socal?" Alec began to make small talk as if we were old friends. His goony fellow football player Jeremy leaned in to catch our conversation, grinning apishly. I considered screaming my head off my shoulders. I was pretty sure Alec had never even considered me one way or another before I'd left for summer break.

"Good. Yeah." I answered succinctly.

"Yeah? What'd you do there?" He questioned persistently. "You look different." _Oh, Jesus! Not this conversation again? _"I mean, you look…really good" he clarified, giving me a meaningful look. Although I wasn't certain what it was supposed to mean exactly.

"What he means is, you look fucking hot and the whole football team can't stop talking about it and wondering what base Paul got to so far with you" Jeremy supplied obnoxiously, smirking and wagging his brows lasciviously at me. _Seriously? _

"Shut up, man!" Alec elbowed him sharply in the ribs. "Kim's not that kind of girl!" he defended in a grand show of chivalry. Then he ruined the effort almost instantly by staring hard at my breasts before seeking out my eyes again for confirmation. "Are you, Kim?"

_Yeeeah…this was probably my cue it was time to make my exit from the lunchroom._

"Well, it's been…fun" I mumbled, simply leaving my leftovers and jumping up before Alec could stop me. It was a table full of overgrown jocks. Someone would surely finish my mystery meat scraps.

I was halfway across the cafeteria before I realized Alec was calling after me. I didn't even consider stopping. Instead I quickened my step and scurried down the hallway. I would sit in the library for the rest of lunch. _Shit! I couldn't face Sandra Cameron yet!_ Without thinking I switched direction and bolted down the nearest flight of stairs. I took the last few steps a bit too fast and tripped, falling into a hard, tall Quileute He-Man type rather than the VCT flooring as I'd anticipated. My eyes widened as they lifted and beheld an angry Quil Ateara rather than one of the real He-Men I'd been hoping to see.

"_Sorry!"_ I gasped, quickly righting myself and darting past him down the hall. Somehow he'd moved faster than me though because he'd gotten to where I was headed before I did and blocked my path. _What the bloody hell? _

"Sorry?" He mocked, scowling down at me. "I'll bet you're really sorry. You wanna tell me what the hell Sam and his goons you're so chummy with have done with my friend?"

"Quil, it's not like that. Embry's just going through-"

"I'm not talking about _Embry!_" He shouted, spraying spittle in my face. "I'm talking about _Jake!_"

_Oh, right…Jacob! Oh, dear…what do I say? _I frowned, tilting my head to the side. "Uh…Jake?" I opted for playing dumb.

"Yeah, Jacob fucking Black!" he scorned. "You know, the other best friend I had left after your cult leader took Embry away from me?"

_Oh, dear…oh, my…this wasn't looking good…_

"Back off, douche-ateara!" Alec suddenly jogged up to stand behind Quil in the secluded basement hallway. _Douche-ateara? God this guy was lame. _

"You wanna disrespect Kim like that you're gonna have to go through me first" Alec brazenly asserted. _Oh, my fucking god! _What the hell was up with him being all up in my grill?_ And what kind of a moronic thing was that to say anyhow? _

Quil looked livid, but also a bit flustered and unsure of himself as he turned to face Alec. Alec was an upperclassman and way higher up on the social pecking order than Quil. Quil had always been a cool but nerdy sort of kid and even though he physically looked fairly huge all of the sudden, even slightly bigger than Alec now, it didn't seem his confidence had grown enough yet to match. He took in Alec's confident, smirking countenance and backed down sulkily, heading in the direction of the stairs.

_Wait! Don't leave me! _I made a move to follow after him but Alec blocked my path.

"Well, now Kim" Alec drawled, stepping closer. "You've become quite the popular girl all the sudden, haven't you?" His eyes raked up and down my figure. I suddenly regretted wearing Alison's tight jeans and low-cut fitted henley. "First you and Jared…" he backed me up against the wall "then you and Paul." He placed a palm on either side of my head against the wall. "Now Quil's trying to corner you in the basement?" _Well, I think he was a little misinformed about Quil's intentions and the interaction we'd just had. _

"You and Paul looked awfully friendly yesterday in the hallway" he commented silkily. _Shit_. We were in a rather secluded part of the building. It was doubtful anyone would come across us here and the whole situation was beginning to feel strangely off. I briefly considered screaming for Quil to come back but decided that would be overreacting and irrational.

"So what's the story with you two?" I could smell the mystery lunchmeat on his breath as he leaned in closer to me. _Too close. _

"N-nothing" I stammered as I simultaneously blushed crimson and gave virtually all my cards away.

"Really?" he chuckled. "Nothing?" he tsked, brushing his knuckles across my cheekbone. "I like that color on you."

I bit my lip and looked down at the floor. _Jesus, after almost 17 years of being plain, invisible Kim, how was it I was suddenly being aggressively hit on by just about every guy I crossed paths with? What the hell was going on?_ Invading my personal space even further, Alec tucked my hair behind my ear and continued to make casual conversation like I was actually interested and not an uncomfortable, unwitting hostage to this whole encounter. "I heard Gabby was so upset 'bout you and Lahote she flipped out on your bud Maggie and they had a girl fight." He grinned, shaking his head. "Wish I coulda seen that action."

Unable to help myself, I rolled my eyes in disgust. He took notice and his friendly, flirtatious demeanor seemed to shift instantly.

"What? You too good to talk to me?" he sneered, dropping his hands from against the lockers and taking a step back.

"N-no…I…I just gotta get going…" Seeing a possible out I took a step forward and to the side. Alec seized me by the shoulders and pushed me back up against the wall. His hands bit into my upper arms. He looked fairly pissed.

"Oh, I see, you think you're something special now because Paul Lahote decided to wet his dick in you?" he snarled. "I've got news for you, honey. You were probably the only girl left Paul _hadn't_ gotten around to fucking!" he imbued harshly.

_Ouch. _I felt my eyes stinging with hurt and embarrassment. "Ww-we're…dating" I explained shakily. The words felt awkward and not entirely believable falling from my lips.

"What?" he laughed cruelly. "_Did Lahote tell you that?_" he asked, incredulous. I nodded, feeling more foolish than ever now. "Wow, that's a new one!" he chuckled heartily. Then another thought seemed to occur to him and he got a wicked glint in his eye as he leaned in to whisper excitedly against my ear "Was it your first time?"

I couldn't seem to speak past the lump of fear and humiliation caught in my throat. "Hmm…can I date you too?" he breathed against my neck. I braced my hands against his chest and pushed as hard as I could to no avail as he pressed himself fully up against me, one hand snaking around my waist and the other sliding up my ribcage. My heart pounded out of control. "I can tell you all sorts of things you want to hear just as well as Paul can." He kissed up my neck and I began to truly panic.

"_Stop it_." I was surprised to hear the words I'd meant to shout come out as a choked sob.

"Get off of her!" Jared's deep voice echoed clearly down the empty hallway. "She's Paul's _girlfriend_, asshole!" He was at least 50 feet away when I first glanced up with watery eyes. Then I literally blinked once and he was right next to me, ripping Alec off of me and throwing him a good ten feet down the hall where he skidded into a cinderblock wall.

"What the fuck, Jare?" _Jare? Alec really did make up the lamest nicknames. _

Before he could even move to get up, Jared was over him again and socking him in the jaw. Alec's head snapped back against the wall with the force of Jared's punch and he shouted in agony as blood spurted from his mouth onto the tile flooring. _Oh, dear god! I had to stop Jared before he killed him!_

"Jared! Stop!" I squealed breathlessly, tripping down the hallway to where he looked ready to lay into Alec again. "Stop it!"

"Don't _ever_ touch her again, do you understand?" Jared spat. Alec drew his fist up to strike back at Jared but Jared caught his hand easily and squeezed. I heard the crunch of bones breaking as Alec cried out in pain.

"Jared, stop it!" I screamed, feeling my stomach churn as it appeared he was preparing to strike Alec again. I threw my arms around his flexed bicep and hung on with the full weight of my body in an attempt to hold his fist back.

Realistically I knew my body weight wouldn't make much of a difference in stopping Jared's fist from flying, but I was successful in finally gaining his attention and thus diverting his fist's course. "Please! Please, stop!" I begged.

He turned and looked at me with yellow eyes. His pupils had narrowed to vertical slits. I swallowed nervously and moved even closer, running my hands soothingly up and down the bulging, vibrating muscles of his arms. "It's okay" I whispered, "I'm okay, Jared."

I wondered how close he was to phasing. Alec appeared to have been too preoccupied with managing the incomparable pain in his jaw and hand to notice Jared's feral yellow eyes or his body shaking. What would happen to Alec if Jared phased? What would happen to me?

I stood on tiptoes and ran my hands up past his heaving shoulders and his thick neck to cup his shaking jaw in my hands. "I'm okay." I repeated it another dozen or so times until he stopped shaking, his pupils widened to normal and his irises' yellow hue gave way to a deep black-brown. My forehead fell against his chest and I wound my arms tightly around his waist.

Gradually he lifted his arms to hold me in return as I silently began to shake and soak his shirt. It was an oddly intimate, comforting moment, much like the one we'd had in the bathroom two nights ago. But there was something different about it. There was a distinct lack of tension…lack of expectation attached to it on both sides it seemed. It just felt …_nice_.

"Fucking asshole!" Alec cursed at our feet. "I didn't do anything! I was only messin' with her." I had almost forgotten he was still there. "First you fucking quit the team, throw your scholarship away like it's nothing and ruin any chances the rest of us might've had by blowing our shot at going to State." _Jared had quit football? He'd given up a scholarship? _

I was such a self-absorbed bitch! _Of course he would have had to quit the team! _When would he have time for practice between all the vampire slaying and puppy training he was committed to? The realization made me cry harder into his chest.

"Now you break my fucking hand so I can't throw a damn pass?" Alec whined in anguish from the ground. "You throw away our years of friendship and ruin my future for Sam Uley's cult and some stuck-up, skanky girl?" A feral growl rumbled up through Jared's chest. I could feel the vibration of it against my cheek. _Shit, Alec really didn't know when to stop for his own good. _

"Can we just go now?" I pleaded in a small voice into Jared's chest. He only growled in response. _Fuck!_

"_Please?_" I tried again, wrapping my arms tighter around him as he began to vibrate once more.

"Kim, if I don't kill him" Jared reasoned gently in a hollow voice that seemed deeper than his own, "Paul's gonna kill him." He stated it like it was a valid, rational assumption. "And honestly I don't think Paul would be as humane. So just step aside, and let me kill him now."

Despite my true panic, I rolled my eyes in annoyance. "He won't!" I argued. "I promise Paul won't! Can we just quit the caveman nonsense now and walk away? I won't even tell Paul! You don't need to tell him! He'll never know about it. Nobody is killing anybody! It's insanity to even talk like frickin killing someone's a possibility" I admonished.

"Paul can't seriously be dating her!" Alec foolishly insisted, cradling his mangled hand against his chest. He was talking funny now, barely moving his jaw as it was likely stiff and hurting fairly badly…probably broken or perhaps dislocated? "Paul only ever hits it and quits it" he ground out in disbelief. _He must actually want to die I concluded. _

"SHE'S PAUL'S GIRLFRIEND, ASSHOLE!" Jared thundered, his body quivering violently. I held onto him as tightly as I could, irrationally thinking I could somehow keep his body from exploding if I hugged him hard enough. The oddity wasn't lost on me that Jared was suddenly declaring me Paul's girlfriend to Alec as if he'd accepted that fact ages ago rather than for the first time ever. _Had he in fact accepted it? _

"I don't believe it" Alec continued to grumble. "Why now? Why _**her**__?_" The way he'd said '_her_' somehow incited me to unparalleled anger as it felt like salt in the raw wound holding every insecurity I had with regard to dating Paul. Alec's jaw was likely broken as well as his hand but rather than be afraid for his life or concerned about getting medical attention he seemed more perplexed and astounded by the revelation that Paul might actually be dating me! _Fucking ass! _Suddenly I felt an uncontrollable rage bubbling to the surface as my favorite ulcer seemed to burst into flames.

I broke away from Jared and crouched down to the floor, getting right in Alec's bloody face. "Would you just do yourself a favor and SHUT THE FUCK UP?" I hissed viciously. "Or I'll let both of them kill you and shred you to pieces so small no one will ever even find them!" I barely felt like myself in that moment of anger and the words that had flown from my mouth didn't feel like my own.

Alec drew back from me, his eyes wide as they stared into my own, regarding me like I'd grown a set of horns on my head. He crab crawled backwards, then rose shakily to his feet and limp-scurried away without another word. I spun around and threw myself in front of Jared's path before he could make a move to follow him.

"Kim I have to…" he began determinedly then stopped short as he seemed to notice my face. "Kim, are you okay?" I nodded. He didn't quite look like he believed me. He was regarding me strangely. _Was there something on my face from lunch?_ "I guess I've never seen you get really angry before" he murmured distractedly.

I shook my head. "I'm not angry" I denied vehemently, realizing for the first time I was out of breath as I panted each word out. I guess I had really gotten my adrenaline pumping. He nodded, his eyes studying my features as a look of concern marred his perfectly handsome face. His irises were their usual chocolate brown and he was no longer shaking. I silently congratulated myself on preventing murder one in the basement hallway of the Quileute Reservation High School.

"I'm sorry about that asshole. He was never my friend!" he hastily assured me. "We just hung out sometimes because we were teammates is all." He shook his head. "You know Paul's gonna find out, right? I don't think I'll be able to keep it from him. And he's gonna flip the fuck out and we're all gonna have to hold him back from gutting that sonofabitch…_with his teeth_" he added under his breath.

I gulped and absently wiped the perspiration from my temple. It felt like a damn sauna in the basement. I couldn't deal with all this right now. I'd managed to avert one murder for the day. I'd think of a way to handle Paul later.

"I'm sorry 'bout last night" Jared tugged at the back of his neck. "Sorry about…" he blew out a long breath, "just sorry…about a lot of things." He smiled ruefully. "Honestly, I just want you to be happy, Kim." He looked at the ground. "Paul and I had a talk last night and…I'll be whatever you want me to be for you." He looked up into my eyes and swallowed nervously. "I'd really like to be your friend…if that's what you want."

What **did** I want from him?I didn't know. I didn't know where he fit anymore. I just knew he didn't fit in the place in my heart where I'd previously held him.

"I just wish either I'd been smart enough to get to know you sooner" he looked heartbroken; his eyes were so full of regret "or that Paul hadn't waited so damned long to do something about his crush on you."

My brows knit together at his words, although I chose not to comment on the statement that suddenly troubled me. I felt a strange, gnawing sensation in the pit of my stomach. "I'm sorry too. It's my fault for being so weird and stupid over my obsession with you when I didn't even know you."

He shook his head, "No. No, Kim, please don't ever apologize for that."

"No, it's true" I insisted. "I mean you could say the same thing about me…I should have actually gotten to know you sooner and we could have avoided all of this."

"Ye-ah" he looked away, totally crestfallen, and I realized I'd just inadvertently insulted him.

"I mean…if I'd gotten to know you sooner" I backpedaled anxiously, my eyes darting around nervously "then I would have realized you liked…um…_preferred_…uh…the paler complected girls, is all...I meant…" I trailed off.

His eyes bugged out. "_**What?**_" His brusque reaction was one I'd not been expecting. "Says_ who?_" he demanded.

"Uh…Maggie kind of mentioned you dated mostly girls from Forks" I answered uneasily.

"Maggie?" he blustered incredulously, his eyebrows raising to his hairline. "Oh, that's just fucking rich!" He paced back and forth, a cynical smirk tainting his expression. "Maggie _Jenkins_ said that?" he sought confirmation. I nodded. He kept pacing, suddenly completely distracted by this new information. He glanced eagerly at me again. "Was she just talking shit or do you think she really thinks that?"

I shrugged. "I got the impression she really thinks it" I answered truthfully.

He rolled his eyes and resumed his pacing. "Did she seem pissed…err…how did it come up?"

"Just…the other night, we were talking and I don't know…it just did." I really didn't want to go into my dramatic dialogue with Maggie.

Another realization seemed to dawn across Jared's features. He stopped pacing and narrowed his eyes at me. "Maggie always knew you had a crush on me?"

I nodded; a little embarrassed we were still talking about this…somewhat befuddled over the importance of it all and starting to worry I might be giving too much away.

"How long?" he questioned abruptly.

"Um…" _I'd clearly entered some Twilight Zone again._

"How long did you have a crush on me and how long has Maggie known?" he clarified, watching me closely and waiting for my answer as if it was of the utmost importance.

"Since she and I were about four or five." I felt my face heat up in embarrassment at admitting just how absurdly long I'd been pining for him. _I'd just admitted to crushing on someone I'd never spoken to since the age of four or five?_ I sounded like the ultimate psycho.

He bit his lower lip and nodded, then turned away from me before I could get a proper read on his reaction. "Whatever. It doesn't matter now" he dismissed sourly to no one in particular. He turned to face me again, stepping closer and rubbing his hands up and down my shoulders gently.

"Please believe me though, Kim" he pleaded "I've never '_preferred_' white girls. I generally don't prefer any race over another and I certainly am attracted to my own!" He looked hard at the ceiling above our heads and sighed. "Admittedly I've dated mostly girls from Forks because…well…I didn't want to upset my mom. I didn't want the rez gossips to make things worse for her since she has enough to deal with on that front already." He shut his eyes, shaking his head and inhaling deeply for several breaths.

The muscle in his jaw ticked and I felt his hands slow and tighten their grip on my shoulders. When he opened his eyes again the look of contrition he bestowed upon me was overwhelming. "I'm not a saint, Kim" he confessed. He seemed to be determined to say his piece so I bit my lip and gave him my full consideration even though a small flash of something behind him in my periphery suddenly begged for my attention. "I've slept with _a lot _of girls" he announced matter-of-factly. "I mean…_**a lot**_" he emphasized.

_Okay, okay…I GET IT…you were too busy shagging to notice me!_

I had the distinct feeling someone was watching us…eavesdropping in on our conversation. _But Jared would've smelled and heard them if they were, right? Embry and Paul always seemed to sense people approaching from a mile away. _

"And it is what it is and it would do no good to apologize for it, so I won't" Jared finished his non-apology that sounded suspiciously still like an apology…or _justifying_, at the very least. "I never meant to hurt anyone by it. I wish somehow I'd known how you felt about me all that time, Kim. You don't know how badly I've wished I could go back in time and get a do over with you." He released my shoulders and rubbed his face with his hands. Like Paul, he just looked so tired…far too jaded for his years.

"I'll never ignore or hurt you again, Kim" he avowed. "I promise I'll be whatever you want me to be, okay? It's all up to you." He shrugged. His full lips formed into a slightly forced, sad smile as he added wistfully, "I sure never would have slept with all those girls if I'd fallen for you first."

There was that gnawing sensation in my gut again. I dismissed it, deciding a change of topic was in order.

"So how's Jake doing?" As Jake's name fell from my lips Jared winced slightly and rapidly shook his head minutely back and forth. "How's the training go…" I trailed off as I realized Jared seemed to be signaling me to shut the hell up.

He groaned and smacked himself in the forehead as Quil suddenly emerged from the shadowed hallway about 20 paces behind him. _I knew I'd seen something!_ My mouth hung open as I took in Quil's appearance. He was shaking as much as Jared had been earlier. He looked taller and thicker than he had just ten minutes or so ago before my bizarre encounter with Alec.

Jared chuckled a little too blithely as he turned to face Quil. I worried for a second he was coming apart. "Well, this day can't really get much worse, can it?" He seemed to be asking himself.

"I thought you didn't know anything about where Jake was, Kim?" Quil scoffed. He was practically growling now.

"Let's you and I step outside, Quil" Jared suggested casually.

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Quil snarled. "Tell me what the fuck you've done with Jake!"'

Jared reached nonchalantly into his pocket, pulled a cell phone and tossed it to me. Then he whipped his tee-shirt over his head and tossed me that too. He proceeded to toe his shoes off and kick them in my direction. _Was he just going to keep undressing?_ Quil looked a bit thrown by Jared's unexpected striptease as his expression became less angry and more horrified when Jared undid his belt buckle.

"Call Sam, Paul, Leah, Embry…" he instructed, tossing me his shorts "anyone you can get hold of…and let 'em know we've got a new recruit." He smirked and winked at Quil, who looked at him like he was deranged. Quil slowly began backing up down the hallway.

Jared turned back to me, clad only in his briefs now. His expression was hard. "_Call!_" he ordered through clenched teeth when I stood stock still, dumbstruck by his bizarre actions. "I'm gonna need backup."

Then he swiveled his head back in Quil's direction. He wagged his eyebrows at Quil, who was backing up faster now. "Let's go sweetheart" Jared grinned and held his arms out, mockingly. Quil turned and broke into a sprint, flying down the hallway that lead to the locker rooms and the stairwell that lead outside to the back of the school. Jared took off after him, leaving me holding his clothes, completely bewildered.

My fingers shook as I flipped through the contacts on his phone. I tried to call Sam first but there was no signal in the basement. I clutched Jared's clothes to my chest and ran down the hall in the direction Quil and Jared had gone. I bounded up the stairs to the outside and found them sparring in the field. As I ran closer it became obvious Jared was clearly taunting a completely freaked out and flustered Quil. It was also apparent his goal was to get Quil into the woods as he continued to throw him in the direction of the forest line each time Quil managed to scramble back up to his feet. I remembered Embry telling me something about how wolves used psychological intimidation to control lower ranking pack members more so than actual physical force. I felt so very sorry for Quil in that moment. He was already scared out of his wits and still he had no idea his life was about to change forever.

I kept dialing different pack members' numbers. No one picked up. I felt a little insane leaving rambling messages on everyone's respective voice mails that Quil was wolfing out and Jared needed back-up. I saved Embry for last as I was somewhat scared to speak to him now. I wondered if my dad or Aunt Susie had spoken to Ms. Call and if anyone had spoken to Embry yet about his paternity. _Would he be mad at me? Would he hate me and my father?_

My hands were shaking I was so nervous as Embry's voice mail picked up. I released a breath of relief and hung up without leaving a message. I looked around me and realized I was a decent ways into the woods, having absently followed a distance behind Quil and Jared while dialing and leaving messages.

I came upon them in a small clearing. "Come on, Quil! Stop acting like a little girl hiding in the fucking hallway shadows and show me what you got for me!" Jared challenged. "Come on!" he yelled, kicking dirt into Quil's face where he was crouched on the ground, his shoulders heaving up and down, his frame trembling so violently he looked like he was having a seizure. "I took your best friends from you, damnit! _Both of them! _Why don't you stop being a little bitch for a change and show me just how angry you fucking are?" he taunted mercilessly.

Jared's head snapped swiftly in my direction when my foot crunched down onto some fallen leaves as I entered the clearing. His face went sickeningly pale. "**GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!**" he roared at me so loudly and so full of alarm I jumped and stumbled backwards onto my ass, dropping the phone and clothes in my arms.

Then I heard Quil screaming. It was the longest, worst sort of scream I'd ever heard. It started out as infuriated then became pained, agonized, tormented, frightened, and ultimately…_completely blindingly enraged again_. I heard the tearing of fabric and struggled to my knees just in time to see Quil burst into an enormous, milk chocolate colored wolf. Like Paul's and Jared's wolves had been, Quil's was easily the size of a horse. And he looked mad as hell. He growled savagely and lunged in Jared's direction. Jared phased instantly into a chestnut brown wolf who managed to claw Quil's ear as Quil landed unsteadily on his new four legs. The wolf that was Quil whined in pain. The chestnut wolf swiped at him again with his claw, snapping his jaws and growling his dominance. The Quil wolf didn't seem to want to submit though, even when Jared's wolf clamped down lightly onto his shoulder and forced his forelegs to the ground. He shook his snout violently and managed to scurry out from beneath the darker wolf's hold. He snarled and flailed about in an uncontrolled manner, felling trees as he barreled aimlessly into them.

I let out a high-pitched scream as a particularly large tree splintered and fell with a deafening thud not less than ten feet from me. The chocolate wolf's ears perked up and his head whipped so fast in my direction I had not a moment to breathe much less contemplate how I'd likely just made the dumbest mistake of my life. And I was sure my life was over as Quil's wolf growled and lunged through the air, fangs bared, straight at me. Even if I'd had the presence of mind to do so I couldn't have rolled fast enough to escape his open jaws. I squeezed my eyes shut and braced myself for my impending demise.

**A/N – My apologies for the ever evil cliffy. It couldn't be helped. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Have a marvelous week! **


	16. Chapter 16  I love a grey wolf

**A/N – My humble apologies for the late posting and for not getting back to reviewers this week. The last quarter of the year is always a cluster f#&k at work. I'm afraid I'm already starting to crack and lose it a bit and the quarter has only begun. **

**And now I think I hear my husband in the other room on the phone to **_**Promises**_** in Malibu inquiring as to whether they have an established program for FanFiction addicts he can check me into. **

**Don't own anything. File your complaints with SM. **

My ears were assaulted by a pained animal call that sounded like a cross between a bark and a shriek, just moments before a gust of wind and spray of something wet and slimy hit my face as a thumping crash against the ground in front of me shook me back down onto my ass. The sound of pathetic, muffled whimpering soon followed.

_I breathed. I wasn't dead. _ I opened my eyes. Quil's muzzle lay directly on the ground in front of me, incapacitated by the large paw Jared's chestnut wolf had laid over his snout. The chocolate wolf's neck was encased between the chestnut wolf's jaws, which had clamped down hard enough to draw blood. Jared's wolf continued growling and gnawing against the defeated wolf's neck, drawing more whines and whimpers from the chocolate wolf. I wiped the slime from my face, numbly noting it was the second time that afternoon Quil had spit on me.

Just as it was the second time that afternoon Jared had saved my hide. I stared blankly at the chestnut colored wolf that had just saved my life. _Should I say thank you?_ Would he hear me? Could he understand human speak when in wolf form I wondered?

"Thank you" I choked breathlessly. I felt lightheaded from lack of oxygen and I was suddenly freezing cold and shaking. Jared's wolf released his hold on Quil's wolf's neck and looked directly at me with intelligent, concerned eyes as he lifted his head. He whined softly, then yipped and jerked his muzzle to the right. I was pretty sure he was telling me once more to get the fuck out of there. I nodded, muttering more incoherent words along the lines of 'thank you' as I crawled backwards and attempted to rise to my feet on trembling limbs.

They really were freakishly huge wolves. Even knowing Jared's wolf had just saved my life and rationally comprehending that he would never intentionally hurt me, he still looked intimidating and frightening as hell. I didn't know if I could actually manage to walk but I was too scared not to follow his directive for a second time. _I would crawl away if necessary._

Before I was upright the sound of trees splintering and falling in the not so distant forest halted me as the ground once again shook and vicious feral growls echoed through the woods, the terrifying sound moving swiftly in our direction. My wobbly legs gave out on me as an enormous grey wolf flew into the clearing and leapt straight for me. _Oh, Lord! This was the worst sort of déjà vu! _

I shrieked and collapsed onto the dirt once again, covering my head with my hands and curling myself into a tight ball on the forest floor. I heard the ground kick up around me as four paws landed with a thud on all sides of me. I felt warmed all over as something soft and furry brushed gently over top of me. A warm snout nuzzled against my covered head and poked against my shoulder as the wolf emitted a soft whining sound. As it continued to rub its head in a soothing gesture back and forth along my spine and atop my head, whining somberly, I realized it was not going to hurt me. As I relaxed enough to breathe again I recognized the scent of the wolf hovering over me as Paul. I shuddered and sighed and before I knew it I was crying and wheezing into the forest floor as an overwhelming sense of relief and comfort washed over me. It was the best Paul had ever smelled. The grey wolf whimpered and prodded at me gently with his nose until I rolled onto my back.

As I wiped my bleary eyes his nose pressed into my belly, tickling against me as it sniffed and nudged my shirt up slightly. I squealed and giggled when his hot, long tongue unexpectedly licked across the expanse of my exposed lower belly. He did it again and again, until I was laughing and writhing uncontrollably. Then he scented, licked and prodded his way down my jean covered legs and back again, up both my arms, and then my neck. He was like an enormous, playful puppy.

My laughter died down as his huge wolf head moved up to loom directly above my face. _Maybe puppy wasn't the right description._ His enormous front paws padded down onto either side of my head as his snout lowered to just barely graze against the tip of my nose. His intelligent yellow eyes regarded me intently. I slowly raised my hand and tentatively ran a shaky, sweaty palm against the silver fur at the side of his muzzle. He was perfect; perfectly beautiful. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. Strangely Paul was even more magnificently breathtaking and entrancing to me as a wolf than as a human. And odd as it was, he was also less intimidating as a massive, supernatural grey wolf. As many times as human Paul had assured me he'd never hurt me, I hadn't been able to let go of this festering anxiety that he eventually would. Yet I felt secure and at home already with his grey wolf.

His tongue lolled out between his mammoth jaw and he panted down at me. His golden irises seemed to blaze a soothing warmth straight through to my soul. I buried my hands into the smooth, thick fur on either side of his head as I wound them as far as I could reach around his neck. He crouched lower to accommodate my awkward hug and purred against my neck. I felt so safe and perfect tucked securely beneath him. It was as if I'd just stumbled upon the sanctuary I'd been searching for my entire existence. I rubbed my cheek back and forth against him.

I forgot for a moment my furry new friend was Paul. I forgot we were in a clearing in the forest behind the school. I forgot Quil and Jared were in wolf form only several feet away and that I'd narrowly avoided having my head taken off by supernatural werewolf Quil minutes earlier. Forgot I'd just threatened a football player with his life in the high school basement hallway after he'd insulted and almost assaulted me. I forgot my whole world had fallen apart and been forever altered in a matter of days.

It was the closest I'd ever come to knowing bliss as I embraced the majestic silver wolf. "I love you" I sighed dreamily against the thick fur of his soft neck. My breath caught in my throat, jolting me from my rapturous haze as I realized what I'd just said. _I didn't mean that! Oh, my god!_

"I…I mean…" I stammered as he drew back and cocked his head at me. I really didn't mean I _loved_ _Paul! _ In any case I most certainly had not meant to **say it**! Although on some insane, instinctual level, I honestly found I really did already love his wolf. _I really was all kinds of freaky fucked in the head. _ "I…I…" He licked from my ear across half my face, thoroughly soaking me and thankfully breaking my uncomfortable moment of tension.

"Blech" I wiped my face with my already dampened sleeve. He did it again. I could have sworn the silver wolf was laughing at me as he snuffled at me with a joyous expression akin to canine amusement. He was wagging his tail and looked to be having the time of his life prodding and tormenting me. "Cut it out!" I giggled as his wet nose tickled my neck.

His ears pricked up and he abruptly stopped poking and licking at me. He rose to his full height above me, puffed out his chest and snarled in the direction of the woods behind my head where his attention was now singularly focused. Moments later I felt the ground shake and it sounded like an elephant stampede was headed our way. I rolled over onto my stomach and pushed myself up to my knees to see what was happening. Something…it may have been a tail…whipped around and knocked me gently back to the ground. Paul's wolf snarled softly down at me. _What? Had I just been chastised? _I tried to get up again only to be firmly pressed down into the dirt by the grey wolf's muzzle at my shoulder this time. Again he growled a little at me in warning then shifted his stance so that I was positioned squarely beneath him between his powerful hind legs.

"Oh…um…_sorry_" I dazedly mumbled in apology, "my bad." This time I stayed on the forest floor as I'd been directed. _My bad?_ _Could things get any weirder? _ I was pretty sure I'd just fallen in love with a heavenly scented giant dog who now appeared to be guarding me as if I was his cub. _And I'd just decided I was okay with it? _

A gigantic, jet black wolf burst into the clearing, flanked by an almost equally enormous russet-colored wolf. I could sense my furry protector's increased agitation immediately.

A confusing cacophony of grunts, growls, snarls, yips and yowls erupted throughout the clearing. Quil's chocolate colored wolf appeared excited and freaked at the same time as the russet colored wolf bounced around in front of him animatedly chasing his own tail. _Oh, lord, that must be Jacob! _

Jared released his hold on Quil as the black wolf approached. The black wolf growled authoritatively and pressed his immense front paws atop the chocolate wolf, forcing his forelegs back to the ground after he'd risen giddily to his feet. I decided the black wolf must be scary Sam. Quil's wolf quickly fell in line, flattening his ears and tail and bowing his head to the ground submissively.

Everything seemed to be calming down in the clearing when Jared's chestnut wolf suddenly bounded over in our direction and then it sounded like all hell was going to break loose as my silver guardian barked and snarled so loudly and viciously at him I was forced to cover my ears. Jared snarled back but retreated slightly nonetheless, whining and eyeing me anxiously between Paul's legs. Paul kept shifting his position it seemed in an attempt to block Jared's view of me. My first instinct was to scold Paul for being so rude to Jared, especially after he'd just saved me from Quil, but something about Paul's sudden ferocious, antagonistic demeanor told me it wasn't the right time to try to reason with him on any level. I decided to keep my mouth shut and my head down as Sam's black wolf intervened, nudging and body checking the growling chestnut wolf further away from us.

A series of muzzle gesturing and non-verbal communication resulted in Jared, Quil and Jacob's wolves finally exiting the clearing entirely, leaving only the black wolf, who now appeared to be squaring off with Paul's wolf, staring intently although maintaining a respectful distance as my personal protector growled almost continuously.

Suddenly the black wolf shifted into scary Sam…a _naked _Sam. _Oh, Jesus! _ I quickly averted my eyes, but not before I noted he was hung like a frickin horse. Christ, these He-Men all seemed to be consistently well-endowed! _Was it a wolf thing or just a Quileute thing?_ I had no frame of reference to know.

"Kim." I heard Sam's voice but I dared not open my eyes. "Kim, don't be afraid, the grey wolf is Paul and he'd never hurt you, he's just scared and feeling overly protective right now" he hurriedly assured me. _Gee, thanks, Sam. _ _I hadn't figured that part out!_

"Uh…no worries, Sam" I responded with my hand still covering my eyes. "It's…um…all good."

I heard the faint sound of leaves crunching in my direction. My protective grey wolf snarled aggressively above me. _Truthfully I didn't want naked scary Sam coming any closer to me with that baseball bat appendage either. _

"Whoa, calm down, Paul!" Sam admonished. "I'm just borrowing Jared's shorts over here." I heard the rustling of fabric and the sound of a zipper. _Oh, thank god he was putting some pants on. _"No one's trying to hurt Kim or take Kim from you, man, you gotta chill out." Paul continued to growl despite Sam's assurances.

"Listen, we all feel a connection to Kim, Paul" he reasoned calmly. "As an imprint, she's pack. She's **my** pack and I feel a strong pull to protect her too." Paul snarled and snapped his jaws.

My eyes popped open at the disconcertingly belligerent response in time to see Sam take a quick step back. His privates were thankfully concealed now under Jared's borrowed shorts. He looked decidedly concerned and befuddled it seemed over Paul's hostile behavior.

"Fuck, come on, Paul!" he shook his head. "You're my Beta. Don't do this" he appealed with a heavy sigh. "I have two new pups to train, that fucking bitch tried to cross our border again last night, Embry's gone AWOL since mid-morning, and he's not phasing so I have no fucking clue where he's at or what's going on. You gotta get your head on straight and help me out here!" He looked so exhausted and despondent. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him and instantly worried about Embry. _Where was he? Was he okay? _

I noticed Sam was studiously avoiding looking at me as he spoke and engaged directly with Paul's wolf, talking about me as if I wasn't right there hanging out beneath Paul in the dirt. "I know how scary that shit looked in Jared and Quil's heads but Kim's fine now. She's _safe_" he stressed. "Please? Just step aside and phase back so I can check on her now too" he pleaded. Paul snarled and snapped his jaws again. Sam's expression and demeanor visibly hardened. "_Fine_" he groused in agitation. "As your Alpha I'm **ordering** you to cut this shit out, phase back and go fucking find Embry while Jared and I work with Jake and Quil." Paul growled defiantly and snapped tauntingly again, much to Sam's extreme exasperation.

"**FUCK!**" Sam bellowed to the treetops. "**I fucking don't have time for this shit!**" He began pacing distractedly back and forth as he ranted. "Leah's on her way over here, okay? She's bringing the truck and she's gonna wanna take Kim back with her to have Sue look her over for injuries. You need to help me out here!" he beseeched, stopping a moment to eye Paul directly.

"Fuck, man, I got Leah fucking bitching and riding my ass 24-7 now that she's moved in. I swear her mood swings are enough to make me lose my damn mind. One minute she's packing her bags and screaming that she hates me and the next minute she's throwing her snatch in my face, sucking me off so well my balls hurt from jizzing so hard." _Oh, my! Had he forgotten I was still here?_ "After being up all night patrolling and dealing with Jake I go home this morning to find she's got my subs tearing up my kitchen and building an extension onto my house to give her some mother fucking walk-in freezer I apparently promised her one night she was riding me reverse cowgirl so rough I thought my dick was gonna break off."

_Oh, wow, I did not need to hear this! _I wasn't sure how Sam's stressful rambling was supposed to be helping Paul's wolf calm down but it did seem to be doing _somethin_g as I noted he was no longer growling. I, on the other hand, was growing increasingly ill at ease.

"I mean, seriously? Is she gonna operate a goddamn deli out of my kitchen?" He pulled at his own hair. "Who the fuck needs a walk-in freezer in their home kitchen? I mean, do you think she's just fucking with me with this shit? Christ, I don't know whether I want to marry her or snap her neck." He stopped pacing and cocked his head to one side. "Fuck me that's her truck approaching."

He groaned and resumed pacing. "I swear that pussy's like a goddamn sphincter I lose too much blood flow to my brain every time it's choking me. And then there's the shit talking! God, the dirty talking's enough to make _me_ blush sometimes. Where did she learn that shit?" The grey wolf's head lowered slightly as he shifted back and forth on his hind legs. _Oh, my god, was that some sort of guilty posturing? _

Sam was hardly paying attention, more ranting to himself now than to Paul's wolf. "I can't wrap my head around how she's sweet Sue and Harry Clearwater's daughter sometimes when she starts talking smack to me like she was raised in some whorehouse." He stopped pacing and shook his head, his face flushing. "Goddamn that shit's fucking hot though." He reached down and adjusted himself in his pants that seemed to have grown a little tighter.

I cleared my throat audibly, deciding finally it was a good idea to remind him of my presence. "Still here, Sam."

"Right, sorry, Kim" he mumbled casually. He didn't look at me or acknowledge me though, instead addressing Paul again as I heard a truck door open and shut in the distance. "Be nice, please? My balls feel like they're gonna explode if I don't get some tonight."

"What's going on? What happened? Is she okay?" Leah questioned anxiously as she sprinted forth from between the trees into the clearing. Sam pulled her back by her upper arm before she could get too close to us though. She angrily slapped at his hand and yanked her arm away, making a face and moving away from him.

Sam rolled his eyes. "She's fine. Quil was disoriented and charged at her but Jared got to him in time" he explained stoically. "Paul was a little freaked and has been acting somewhat territorial. But he's calming down now. Just don't look directly at Kim, please."

"Jesus F. Christ!" Leah swore, "She could have been killed, Sam! Goddamnit, I keep telling you there's gotta be a better way for you and your bungling Apple Dumpling Gang to handle these initial phasings!" she harped.

"Calm down, Leah, she's _fine!_" Sam argued defensively.

"Really?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "She's been knocked around and bruised by just about every member of _your_ pack of _Protectors_" she dragged the word out. "And that's just the bruising we can _see_. Lord knows what Paul's done to her cervix by now" she mumbled under her breath. "Now Paul's wolf is practically _sitting_ on her! And you're acting like everything is just fine? Are you going to control these beasts or not?"

"You're _**not**_ helping!" Sam gritted in irritation between clenched teeth.

"And you're not doing _**anything**_!" she accused. "Where's the line, Sam? Does Paul's wolf have to pee on her before you'll intervene? Will you get involved before his wolf tries to mate with her in front of us? Make that asshole phase back and get off of her this instant!" she insisted. "This is simply barbaric!"

"Enough, Leah!" he barked.

She didn't stop. "Maybe you hadn't noticed but Kim doesn't strike me as the most skilled at setting boundaries and Paul's not known for respecting them. You've got an imprint lying in the dirt being held hostage under a domineering giant werewolf, Sam! Either you order that son of a bitch to fucking phase human and leave poor Kim alone or I'm going back for my tranquilizer gun!"

"Damnit, he's not going to hurt her! Will you try to understand he's sick with fear at the thought of almost losing her and maybe he's overreacting right now to be treating the rest of us as a threat but he **won't hurt her**, Leah? And she's not afraid of him. Actually…" Sam looked perplexed and a tad uneasy, "it seems she's oddly comfortable with him as a wolf." He cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head. "She…uh…even told his wolf she… _loved_ him."

I thought I would die of embarrassment as Leah's jaw dropped and turned in my direction.

"Shit, she's got a head injury, Sam!" Leah exclaimed in horror. "We've got to get her to a hospital!"

"She didn't hit her head, Leah!" Sam fumed and advanced forward into her space, his chest heaving up and down as he came to tower over her. She squared her shoulders defiantly but took a few small steps back nonetheless. Sam smirked. "Just because you're scared of my wolf doesn't mean another imprint will have that same response."

Leah opened her mouth then shut it. She shifted her attention from Sam back to Paul, shaking her head in utter disgust at my grey wolf. "Paul, don't you think this is taking your whole fear of abandonment complex a bit far? As romantic as I'm sure Kim finds being sequestered beneath your smelly underbelly, do you really think you can keep a woman by having your wolf sit on her?"

Paul growled menacingly in Leah's direction.

"Stop it, Paul!" Sam admonished then turned his scolding on Leah. "Leah, don't antagonize him! He's not in his right mind right now."

"Trust me, Sam" she scoffed "I've known for a while Paul's not right in the head. She's **my** fellow imprintee and I won't let that animal walk all over her!"

"I'm okay, Leah" I called from beneath Paul's hindquarters. "Really!" I tried to sound convincing. She looked even more concerned as she just gaped at me. I shrugged as much as I could in my current position. "He's really…soft…and well…cuddly…and…um…really soft…?" I trailed off, feeling utterly ridiculous with that poorly conceived explanation. Great, now she was probably convinced I needed a CT scan.

"Sam, just make him phase back" she demanded, rolling her eyes. "I simply can't have this conversation with Kim while she's cowered beneath that big mutt."

"I CAN'T!" he roared. "I tried and he won't phase back!"

"_What?_" Leah shrieked. "What do you mean you can't?"

"Exactly fucking that, woman!" Sam blustered. "I alpha ordered him to phase back over half a dozen times in wolf form and just now in human form and he **won't do it**!"

"Wh-what the hell does that mean, Sam?"

"Fuck if I know." He threw his arms in the air. "I'm thinking it means she's really his imprint based on what we understand from the legends." He shrugged. "Desire to protect imprint from danger trumps all else…even an alpha command."

Leah shook her head, a deep frown marring her perfect brow. "But she's **not** in danger, Sam. So that would mean…" She bit her lip in consternation.

"Kim" Leah addressed me. "What do _you _want to do?" Ignoring Paul's snarls she crouched down so that she could see me better beneath Paul's wolf and I had to suppress the fit of ill-timed giggles I felt bubbling to the surface at the absurdity of the situation. I suddenly wished Embry was here to laugh with me at how completely silly I must look camped out beneath Paul's big wolf.

"You know you don't have to stay with Paul if you don't want to, honey. Don't let him intimidate you!" Leah pleaded. "If he's really imprinted on you then he has to respect your wishes above all else" she informed me gleefully. "So…do you want to stay and stroke Paul's fragile furry psyche? Or come back to Sam's house where I'm deep frying a big turkey for dinner?" She grinned encouragingly. "It'll be fun, I promise!" She nodded her head eagerly.

A distinctively smooth, guttural growl reverberated through the grey wolf above me. Somehow I felt the vibration of it hit me directly between my legs. "Uh…well…" I commenced, and then I was blanketed with a fresh wave of his scent and I became thoroughly distracted as my nether regions began to tingle. _Holy hell! Could he do that shit to me on purpose? And as a wolf? "_Well…I… really do appreciate the dinner invite" I stated as politely as possible as I breathed deeply and felt my undies dampening uncomfortably, "but I think I'd like to stay with Paul…for a bit." Paul's wolf purred above me in approval. Leah looked completely distraught. Sam's nostrils had flared and his eyebrows were up at his hairline.

I really should have been mortified but decided I suddenly didn't have the energy for it as Paul's silver wolf trod carefully backwards over me, his warm fur brushing up against me as he eased himself down to the ground and curled his massive body around me. I lifted up and adjusted myself against him until I was half laying, half leaning on him. Warm and contented, I yawned and smiled reassuringly at Leah's distressed features as I absently stroked his fur and relaxed into a spooning position with my big, bad werewolf teddy bear. "Really" I yawned again, feeling my eyes grow heavier as I tried to focus on Leah, "I'm fine. I'm just gonna snuggle with Paul for a bit and I'll catch up with you later, okay?" She nodded and smiled in that agreeable manner one does when they're convinced you need a straightjacket.

Sam looked like he was trying not to crack a smile as he addressed Paul sternly. "Your ass is doing extra patrols for this shit. Stay alert and don't stay out here with her past dark, understand? I want Kim at my house immediately after school tomorrow. She and Leah are gonna meet with Billy and Old Quil and don't fucking growl at me like two old men are a threat to your imprint, you psycho" he reproved when Paul voiced his animalistic displeasure at the suggestion. "C'mon, Leah" Sam put his arm reassuringly around her shoulders and drew her close. She didn't push him off. She nodded strangely again at me and allowed him to lead her back in the direction of her truck.

My eyes were shut before I heard the sound of Leah's truck roaring to life in the distance. My fingers brushed and stroked absently against the fur at Paul's neck where my head was now resting as the sounds of his steady heart beat and deep purring lulled me to sleep.

I awoke in a strange bed in an unfamiliar room surrounded by the scent of Paul. Deep male voices were arguing in the background. It sounded like it was coming from the other side of the wall or through the window.

"Quit being a dick, Paul! I just need to see her." _It was Embry! _I shot up in bed and was rewarded with a major head rush as I began struggling to disentangle myself from the mass of sheets wound about me.

"Later" Paul responded succinctly.

"I have to talk to her, man." Embry sounded eager. _He wanted to talk. That meant he didn't hate me, right? _I managed to get the sheets off of me and realized I was clad in only my thong undies and an oversized tee shirt that smelled delightfully of Paul.

"Not now! She's sleeping" Paul barked.

"Dude, I just heard her breathing and her heart rate change and the sheets rustle. You did too! Let me talk to her."

"Later, Embry!"

_Wait! I didn't want Embry to leave._

"You don't understand! She's _my_ s-"

"She's not _**your**_anything!" Paul corrected, raising his voice. "She's not Jared's or Sam's or Leah's or _anybody's_! She's _**MINE!**_" he roared. I heard the door slam shut.

_Wow, maybe Leah was onto something with the whole fear of abandonment thing. _Embry had been about to say I was his something? _ His sister?_ Did he know?

I swung my bare legs over the side of the bed. I realized I must be in Paul's house, in Paul's room, in Paul's _bed_. The overpowering smell of him alone was undeniably distracting.

I had to focus…_focus!_ _What was it that was so important at the moment aside from Paul's scent again? _Oh, right…_Embry! He'd come to see me. _ I had to talk to him!

I stagger stepped towards the door as it was thrown open. Paul's shirtless, chiseled physique filled the doorway.

My jaw dropped open. _He was huge!_ He looked like he'd grown another few inches in height since the last time I'd seen him in human form and though I wouldn't have even thought it possible, he seemed thicker and more muscled than before and his shoulders broader. Perhaps even more startling was the intensity in his yellow eyes as they beheld me hungrily. _Oh, my!_

"You're…_bigger_" I stammered, backing up into the room as he entered and closed the door firmly behind him. He nodded while his hands made quick work of his shorts. "Um…o-kay…" _It didn't seem like he wanted to talk. _My eyes grew even wider as his shorts dropped to the floor and he stood stark naked before me, his sex fully erect and glistening with pre-cum. Holy Taha Aki, I was pretty sure he'd grown bigger _everywhere_!

As I was shamelessly staring at his engorged appendage and processing this new development he came forward and whipped the oversized tee shirt I was wearing over my head, leaving me in my thong underwear. He growled low in his throat.

"You sore?" He grabbed me beneath my ass and hoisted me up against him, spreading my legs to wrap around his waist.

"Um..."

His mouth attached voraciously to my neck. "My wolf's demanding to mark you, baby" he grunted.

I squeaked.

"Needs to know you're ours" he explained with another growl as his teeth scraped teasingly up and down my neck. "If I don't fuck you and mark you with our scent I don't know if I'll be able to stop him from marking you with our teeth" he warned gravely. _Oh, dear, he was referring to himself in first person plural now. Was I about to have sex with him or with his inner wolf? Somehow they both seemed present._ His fingers sought greedily between my legs, delving and stroking anxiously along my hot, increasingly wet center, ripping the thin fabric of my thong apart and off of me to gain better access as he simultaneously rubbed me up and down his hard, smooth shaft, the friction against my pulsing clitoris causing me to gasp and moan. I clung to his shoulders for dear life and used my leg muscles to squeeze myself against him as tightly as possible as I felt an orgasm building impossibly swiftly within me. He growled and drove two fingers deep inside of me and I came, clenching and soaking his digits. He held me tightly against him as I cried out and bit into his shoulder, riding out the wave of my forceful first orgasm. _Holy shit!_

"Sore?" he inquired again. I quickly shook my head. _Hell no did I want him to stop!_ He effortlessly lifted me higher, his hot tongue assaulting my mouth with fervor. My fingers burrowed in his short, thick hair, pulling and yanking him closer as I attacked him right back. He was growling practically non-stop into my mouth. _Oh, fuck me! _I knew I should probably be terrified he was about to phase. He seemed more dangerous, unstable and frightening than ever and yet he smelled more delectable than ever before to me as well. And I wasn't exactly afraid of his wolf. _I liked his wolf_. _I wanted his wolf_. The golden eyes which had previously scared me were some kind of crazy turn on for me now. I was so painfully aroused again already I was fairly certain I could come merely from scenting him.

His fingers pumped and twisted inside of me and I screamed into his mouth, on the verge of combustion again. His mouth released me abruptly and he withdrew his fingers as he lowered me down onto the tip of his cockhead. I kissed and sucked along his chest, clawing his shoulders as he teased his huge head against my slick entrance. I was panting and grunting, wiggling against him as I tried to shimmy down and impale myself on him. He held me easily just above reach of my desired destination. He kissed the top of my head. "You want me?" he whispered huskily.

I nodded against him as I panted for air. "Tell me" he demanded in a gruff tone.

"I want you." My small voice was thick and muffled against his chest.

"What do you want?" his voice was hoarse, it sounded strained as he dipped my aching core lower onto him, stretching my eager opening as his thick head shallowly entered me, then stopped.

"I…gah…uh…" I wiggled my hips, trying to take in more of him. He held me immobile.

"Mm…what do you want me to do to you, Kim?" He kissed the top of my head repeatedly as he proceeded to rub me with his fingers back and forth along the cleft of my ass to my slit where his cockhead was still shallowly buried. It wasn't long before I was moaning and whimpering as I felt more fluids rush out of me to run down his hardened member. "Fuck you smell so good, Kimmie" he growled. "Tell me what you want me to do to you" he whispered seductively. "Hmm? Just say what you want, baby?"

"I…" _I was speechless._

"Do you want me to _fuck_ you?" he prompted.

I nodded.

"C'mon…say it" he urged gently. _ I couldn't._ "Please, baby?" he groaned desperately, dipping his head to brush kisses along my temple down to my ear.

I swallowed. "I…uh…_wantyoutofuckme_" I awkwardly managed to blurt confess. _ Well, I wouldn't be winning any bedroom shit-talking competitions against Leah anytime soon. _

Paul didn't seem to mind though as he growled his approval just above my ear. "How bad?" he pressed eagerly without pause in his deep, taunting baritone. "How much do you want me to ram my big cock inside of you until you scream my name?" _Jesus! Demanding, wasn't he?_

"Bad" I gasped. "So…so much…"

"Enough to let me do whatever I want to you, baby? Fuck you so hard and deep again and again until you can't remember your own name?" My insides clenched at his words. _I quietly decided we should probably just leave all the smack talking to him._ His fingers dug into my ass cheeks hard and he rocked me up and down on his thick head.

"Aahh…oh god… oh fuck…" I rambled and clawed his chest.

"Enough to let me mark you as mine forever?" he demanded in a throaty whisper above me.

Oh, fuck me this seemed like perhaps a line of questioning that should be setting off some warning bells now. _What was this marking activity again? _ What did it mean? What did it entail? _Oh, right…I had no idea!_ _Some kind of wolfy imprint thing?_ It couldn't be anything bad, right? Everything Paul had talked me into doing so far had worked out pretty damn well, hadn't it? _Was I rationalizing?_ I might cry if he didn't fuck me soon.

I'd narrowly escaped having my head ripped off by a giant wolf earlier that afternoon, how dangerous could having a wolf bite my neck be? I knew already I adored Paul's grey wolf! I had even told him I loved him. He'd cuddled and comforted me in the forest like a big, soft…_albeit ferocious and fanged, _teddy bear_._ _The least I could do was let him use my neck for a chew toy as he got me off? _Yep, definitely rationalizing.

I nodded eagerly. "_Anything_…whatever you want…" I moaned.

He grunted triumphantly and gripped my hips with renewed force as he lowered me painfully slowly onto his thick, pulsating shaft. I cried out with every inch as he penetrated me, rocking me up and down as he stretched my walls to accommodate him, waiting for me to adjust to his girth little by little until finally he was full seated inside of me. "Ugh…that's it, baby" he coaxed as he began to raise and lower me onto him. "God you're so fucking tight" he groaned. "Just for me. All _mine_. Only me…" he grunted and panted as he deepened and quickened his penetration, impaling me over and over again until I cried his name desperately as my channel seized and convulsed around him and I came apart screaming in ecstasy.

I might have actually passed out for a moment because the next thing I knew my vision was clearing and I was on my back on Paul's bed, my ass at the edge of the mattress, my legs straight up towards the ceiling, my ankles at his shoulders as he stood over me next to the bed, penetrating me slowly and repeatedly as he tilted and positioned my pelvis, searching for some odd angle as he drove upward into me until he hit a spot just above my pubic bone that caused me to jump. He smirked, withdrew slightly and hit the spot again, this time a little harder. _Whoa! What the fuck?_ I instantly started to lose control of my breathing. He jerked harder and harder into me there again and again, tersely reminding me to breathe with every thrust as I alternated between gasping, shrieking and babbling '_oh god_' and '_oh fuck_' continuously. He was hitting a spot that was strangely at once pleasurable, uncomfortable and unquestionably…_awkward_. It grew increasingly more sensitive and each sharp thrust made me more and more anxious as he towered over me, his yellow eyes sharply focused on my every response, his muscles bulging and rippling as my ass lifted off the bed and my thighs pressed up against him. _Okay, __**now**__ I was afraid and completely freaked out. _

"Too much" I finally gasped as it felt like I was going to lose control of my bladder. "_Can't_" I wailed helplessly, shaking my head.

He growled. _It really wasn't the sympathetic response I was looking for. _ "Let it happen, baby" he coaxed, although it came out sounding like more of a command. I shook my head back and forth on the mattress. I didn't think I wanted to let it happen. I hadn't wet the bed since I was a toddler. The last thing I wanted to do was to wet _Paul's_ my first time in it. The thought made me panic. I lost focus of my breathing again and I felt on the verge of hyperventilating as I struggled not to cry.

"Shhh…come on baby…just stay with me" he crooned more gently now, running his warm hands up and down my thighs. "I _promise _you'll like it." I stubbornly shook my head, biting my now trembling lower lip. "Aw, please, baby" he urged desperately. I swore I could feel him swelling bigger inside of me now. "I know it feels different" he panted, as his warm hand stole between my legs "but nothing bad's gonna happen. Just trust me, _please_?" he begged as his clever fingers began a full scale attack on my clitoris. _Oh, god, he didn't play fair! _ He knew I couldn't tell him to stop now. "Trust me" he grunted, picking up his pace as I began moaning and spewing profanity. _I was really starting to resent that dirty five letter word. _My hands shifted uselessly from clutching the sheets, clutching my hair, to finally clutching the exterior point on my lower belly where he was attacking me internally.

"Oh, yeah, sweetie, right there. Rub yourself there. That's _perfect_" he encouraged. "Aw, fuck fuck_ fuck_ you're hot." His cock began dragging in and out of me at a frantic, virtually inhuman pace. Just as I was sure I couldn't possibly take any more his fingers insistently pressed and pinched my sensitive nub until I arched up off the bed into him, my knees reflexively attempting to clamp together as I came with a sudden shuddering violence, shouting an uncharacteristically self-approving "_YESSSSS!_"

"OH, FUCK YESSSS!" I shrieked again as my head lifted off the mattress. My orgasm rolled on with a spastic internal clenching that felt deeper than I'd ever experienced before. And it didn't seem to have an end point. I felt crazy wet between my legs as Paul swore and pounded into me but I was fairly certain I hadn't actually pissed myself and for whatever reason between that relief and the absurd orgasm I was still riding out I felt ridiculously proud of myself; as if this moment of orgasm was now the single greatest crowning achievement of my life. I was grinning like an idiot by the time Paul trembled fiercely and emptied himself inside of me.

He pulled out, grunting and panting for air and dripping our combined fluids onto me as he released my quivering legs from his shoulders and climbed forward over top of me, grinning like mad as he cupped my smiling face between his hands and peppered me with kisses.

"I did it!" I beamed excitedly up at him like a big dork.

He chuckled. Warm black eyes shone lovingly down on me. "You did, baby." His dimple was huge. "You were fucking _awesome_" he complimented proudly as he continued kissing my whole face. "Ready to go again?"

**A/N – I know the Apple Dumpling Gang reference totally dates me to prehistoric times. I can't help it I'm just an old bitch. **

**Yes, I'm totally working on a smutty Sam/Leah outtake full of ridiculous shit talking. **

**In-laws descending from out of town this week. This FF monkey wrench could mean I don't update for over a week. Sorry! **

**As always, thanks for reading, reviewing, liking, etc. Much appreciated! :)**


	17. Chapter 17  Bad Moon Rising

**A/N – Ah…those sweet, sweet in-laws. So great, but they seriously cramped my FF style this past week and a half. But really, it was a great visit. My mother-in-law only insulted me twice…a huge improvement. **

**So this chapter contains about half of what it was originally supposed to...hence the new title. The imprinting meeting with the elders will now be contained in Chapter 18, which should (will) be up by next weekend. My apologies to those of you expecting the big imprinting chat this update. **

**I've broken protocol and included a point of view other than Kim's this chapter. I hadn't planned on revealing any other POV's until after Chapter 20 but jaytan reviewed she wanted more Embry and since her story **_**His, Hers, No one'****s**_**made me alternately laugh and cry so much it was so effing good, how could I deny her such a small request? (Not to mention her slightly older, wiser single dad Paul is so swoon-worthy it's ridiculous!) So jaytan, here's more Embry and even Embry POV. ;) **

**Thanks so much to everyone for reading and reviewing! **

We did go again. And again_…and again. _ This time it was leisurely and tender, reverent. There was not an inch of me Paul didn't take care to kiss, lick and caress, nuzzle and explore as he whispered words too sweet to be believed, too beautiful not to make my eyes mist.

Oddly though, the more he spoke them the more I felt myself emotionally disengaging; shutting down. I told myself I was just tired and recovering from the shock of everything that had transpired that day. But as I came down from the high of my final orgasm, I could have sworn I felt something somewhere deep inside of me rebelling against the beauty of Paul's words as I sensed muscles I'd never inventoried before subtly flexing and tightening in distress. His voice became hollow and lifeless to my ears even as his tongue and teeth continued to do delightfully wicked things along my exposed neck.

I felt torn; my mind and body shifting in two separate directions, my heart lost and floating somewhere in the middle. _I was so tired._ I speculated briefly at the wisdom behind the age old premise of having to lose oneself in order to find oneself and whether these could happen simultaneously as the fiery ulcer in my stomach simmered, gradually boiling to life. It occurred to my exhausted brain that it seemed to be fighting towards something. As if an ulcer could_ want something_?

In my haze I couldn't be bothered with pondering what the deuce my burning ulcer could possibly want though as I instinctively turned my head further to the side, providing Paul better access to where I knew he wanted to attach his mouth. I dimly registered his growl of contentment as I felt his teeth rake and then sink ever so gently into the back of my neck where I was already tender before soothing and sucking the spot better with his tongue. My eyes stung at the initial contact, and I whimpered slightly. But not because it had hurt, rather because I noted it'd stopped the burning of my ulcer. I smiled through watery eyes and reassured Paul I was fine, that I wasn't sad or hurt. I was simply fatigued and overwrought. I breathed deeply in and out as he held me, his fingers stroking gently along my flesh as he peppered my neck with healing kisses. I relaxed and succumbed to his ministrations. _Perhaps that was the answer...or at least part of it._ And I succumbed to a finally restful sleep as well.

I was awakened some hours later once again to the sound of agitated male voices on the other side of Paul's bedroom wall. I recognized Embry's as he argued with Paul. He sounded fairly hostile. _Omigosh, I had to talk to him!_

I jumped out of bed only to realize I was stark naked. I scrambled around Paul's bedroom until I found his discarded tee shirt I'd been wearing before. I wasted no time shamelessly rummaging through his drawers until I found a pair of boxers and slipped those on beneath my oversized shirt. I tied the waist band in a knot at the side to keep them from falling off my hips.

"Em, I don't have time for this." Paul sounded irritated but far less so than he'd sounded earlier when I'd awoken the first time. "She's exhausted and now you've woke her up again!" he scolded. "You can talk to her tomorrow. She's not leaving this house until I take her to school in the morning." _I wasn't?_

Paul's enormous physique filled the front doorway, his muscled arms braced casually against the top frame. I was nearly completely distracted drooling over the sight of his well-muscled naked broad back and shoulders as I padded up behind him. Without even turning his head, Paul dropped one long sinewy arm from the doorframe and swung it behind him at my approach. I emitted an "oomph" in surprise as his arm hooked securely about my waist and pressed me against him, completely blocking me from Embry. Again, I was momentarily distracted, this time by the firm muscles of his taut backside as my lower belly pressed into his fine ass and my nose and mouth pressed up against the deliciously scented smooth skin of his back.

"She's _my_ **sister** and I have a right to talk to her!" Embry asserted in an even deeper voice than he'd used with Bella. _Oh, my god, he just called me his sister! _ I'd never heard him sound so authoritative. I managed to get just a glimpse of him as I tore my traitorous lips from the skin of Paul's back and snuck a peek around his massive upper torso. _I had to focus!_

"_Alone_" Embry clarified. "So quit being a possessive dick." He actually dared glare at Paul. He didn't seem intimidated in the least by Paul's new height and stature.

I ran my hands reassuringly over Paul's back as I wiggled and tried to extricate myself from his iron hold. "Um…it's true…Em's my half brother," I confirmed in a small voice, blushing profusely as Paul loosened his grip and I squeezed out of Paul's arm and between him and the door frame onto the front stoop to face Embry.

Why was _I_ so embarrassed? _It wasn't like I'd shagged and impregnated Tiffany Call. _Maybe it had to do with the fact I was braless and panty-less wearing Paul's boxers and surely reeking of sex as I faced my only known sibling for the first time since gaining this new knowledge…my very own baby half-brother, Embry Call. _Wow! _

"Say _what?_" Paul gaped. He looked back and forth between me and Embry as we both began shuffling nervously on our feet, stealing awkward glances.

A long, uncomfortable silence ensued. Finally Embry tugged at the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly. "God, I feel just like Lindsay Lohan in _The Parent Trap._" His face flushed as he eyed me anxiously.

My nervous laughter bubbled up and soon I was giggling so hard I was choking. Embry grinned.

"I prefer the original Hayley Mills version," I offered in mock seriousness once I'd gained control of my laughter.

Embry nodded. "Yeah, that one's a classic. I'll be the frosty uptight Boston chick and you can be the free-spirited brat from California, 'kay?"

I nodded, my eyes swimming with tears. "M'kay." My mouth hurt from grinning so wide.

"And we'll get matching haircuts and switch places so I can get to know my dad," Embry said in a high-pitched, horrible attempt at a proper Boston accent.

I laughed so hard I was falling over. Paul looked back and forth at us like we were deranged as he reached a hand out to steady me.

"Shit, you are related," he commented stoically.

I snorted and guffawed even harder.

Paul cracked a smile. "You're both nuts." He crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head in bemusement. "You're hardly identical twins and it's not like you just met at summer camp. This situation is not even remotely like either of The Parent Trap movies."

I didn't know what was funnier. The fact that Embry had drawn this ridiculous Parent Trap movie parallel to our newly discovered sibling relationship or that Paul knew both pre-teen films well enough to argue why the story lines didn't fit our circumstance.

I was still giggling stupidly, Embry and I both staring at one another with matching goofy grins when Paul wrapped his arms around my shoulders from behind and drew me back against his chest with a heavy sigh. He pressed a kiss to my temple. "Look, I have to go check in with Sam," he said softly "see how Quil and Jake are doing. Why don't you two hang out here and talk?" he offered. His lips pressed against my temple again and again then kissed slowly down the side of my face. I shut my eyes and leaned into him. From the way he was kissing and holding me I knew he didn't want to go. I knew he didn't _need_ to go check in with Sam. He was making excuses to give me and Embry space and time to talk alone as Embry had requested.

His arms shifted down to wind around my midsection. "My dad'll be home around seven. I'll call him and let him know you're staying for dinner."

Paul's dad? _I was staying for dinner? _ Was I ready to meet his dad? My heart rate kicked into hysteria mode.

"Whoa, easy there" Paul chuckled and bent to kiss my cheek as he pulled me in even tighter against him. "I'll tell my dad he can't come home if you're going to go into cardiac arrest over it."

"Well, no…it's just…" I stumbled to find the right words as I turned around in his arms to face him. _Wow, I was suddenly insanely nervous! _"I don't have any clothes!" I blurted, gripping his biceps in panic. "My clothes got all dirty rolling around in the forest," I babbled. "I can't possibly meet your dad wearing just your tee shirt and boxer shorts and oh, my god, I don't even have any underwear since you ripped my panties!" I practically shrieked in horrified dismay.

"Ugh! _T.M.I._, Kimbo!" Embry complained, mock gagging behind me.

Paul was laughing. He looked so happy. He'd had the oddest look of pure enchantment on his face as he'd listened attentively to my rambling. He cupped my face between his warm palms. "Your clothes are already going through the wash and you can go commando for one night. My dad is hardly someone to be intimidated about, okay? Breathe, baby," he instructed when I didn't respond. I nodded my head, breathing deeply.

"I'm invited to dinner too, right?" I turned around in Paul's arms to find Embry smirking mischievously. "Gotta make good with the little brother," he pointed out cheekily as he stepped closer. "Besides," he boasted "I'm the coolest, most important family member Kimmie has now." He rubbed his palms together diabolically and looked pointedly at Paul. "Yep, that's right…let the ass kissing commence. You wanna pick up some of my patrol shifts for me?" he suggested smugly, chuckling at his own wit.

Paul released one of his arms from around me and with lightning fast reflexes swung his fist out and punched Embry hard in the shoulder. Embry stumbled back a few steps, wincing and massaging his shoulder. "Ouch, man!"

"Nobody ever kisses the _little _brother's ass, idiot," Paul scoffed good-naturedly. "'Sides, I've always been cool to you. It's Jared that gets to eat crow now that you're Kim's brother," he snorted.

Embry's face suddenly fell deathly serious. "_Fuck_" he breathed, his eyes returning to mine. "God, Kim. You could've died this afternoon if Jared hadn't been there to stop Quil." He instantly took a step towards me, reaching his hand out. It seemed an unconscious, reflexive response, stemming from some need to touch me and be reassured that I was alive and okay.

I felt Paul's fingers dig sharply into my flesh as his arms tightened around me to the point of discomfort. He drew our bodies back and away from Embry. "Can't breathe," I gasped when I felt his muscles constrict around me even further as my feet were lifted several inches off the ground and he carried us backwards over the threshold into the house. He relaxed his hold instantly at my protest but only enough to allow my ribcage to expand as he set me back down on my feet. He buried his head in the crook of my neck, sniffing and growling as he rocked gently back and forth with me.

_Shit! What the fuck just happened? _Was it just me or was Paul acting weird? A quick glance at Embry told me I wasn't imagining things. Embry's brow was creased in concern and his eyes were fixed on Paul as he nuzzled my neck. He opened his mouth to speak then shut it. He nervously ran a hand through his cropped jet hair.

Paul's growls subsided but he continued sniffing my neck and rocking me in our embrace. Should I say something? I had the feeling I should yet I was at a loss as to what to say to reassure him.

"Kim's fine, Paul," Embry spoke slowly and carefully before I had the chance. "She's _safe._ No one's going to hurt her or take her away from you. We'll stay right here in your house until you come back. I promise I won't let anything happen to her."

Paul murmured something against my neck. I ran my hands soothingly over his forearms.

"Kim," Embry's tone was unusually authoritative again. I lifted my eyes to meet his. "Why don't you go take a shower and clean up before Paul's dad gets home?" I nodded, noting the message in his eyes.

"Paul?" I turned my face into him where he was nuzzling my neck. "Paul, is it okay if I use your shower, please?"

He lifted his head and smiled wanly at me before kissing my forehead. "'Course, baby."

After setting me up in the bathroom with clean towels and an extremely limited selection of soap, Paul turned the water on and proceeded to undress me. _Um…was this going to be a habit? He wasn't seriously going to try and bathe me and brush my hair again like he had the other night? _ _Once in a while was sweet, but twice in a row was…_

"I…I'm okay, Paul," I mumbled as he whipped the tee shirt and then the boxer shorts off of me. "I can take it from here," I stated in a voice which sounded less confident than I'd wanted it to as I was now feeling somewhat insecure standing naked in front of his dark, penetrating eyes. They looked almost hurt as they bore down on me. He nodded stiffly.

"You listen to Embry while I'm gone, okay?" His deep voice echoed in the tiled bathroom.

My eyebrows shot up. "_Riiight_…_sure_…" I smirked and rolled my eyes, assuming he had to be joking and hoping to further lighten the mood. I certainly wasn't about to start letting Embry boss me around just because he was my sibling.

"I'm serious, Kim," Paul groused unexpectedly, taking my chin in his fingers and tilting my head back so I was forced to look up at him and meet his eyes. They were suddenly hard and unyielding as he clipped out "If Embry tells you to run, you _run_! You _stay_, you _duck_ and you _jump_ if he says so, understand? You don't question or think twice." _Damn, he was serious_. And he suddenly looked royally pissed off. A muscle ticked in his jaw and he began to tremble slightly. His nostrils flared. "_Understand_?" he spat condescendingly. I nodded quickly, biting my lip as I tried to stem the flood of humiliation and hurt I felt surfacing as my entire body flushed with embarrassment.

_He'd just talked to me like I was a fucking child! _ I didn't understand why he had to act this way. _ Why he was being so mean. _The rancor in his next words completely shocked me though.

"Damnit, we could've avoided all these fucking complications I gotta deal with now if you'd just listened to Jared today like you were supposed to."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and willed myself not to cry as his angry words echoed and bounced around in my head over and over. It was yet another indictment of my supreme idiocy; one more for me to examine ad nauseam and flagellate myself over before filing in the dark recess of my mind under _failures_.

_I'd messed things up for him_. I'd had a sense I was somehow to blame for his new size and odd behavior. And now it was confirmed. _And he was angry with me._ He _blamed_ me for making his life more complicated than it should have been. It was an all too familiar position for me to be in as I waded through my own self pity and swamp of guilt over the trouble my very existence seemed to always cause those around me.

"Aw, _shit!_" he cursed. "Hey, hey…" he whispered, pulling me back from the abyss of emotions swallowing me whole as he kissed my wet eyes and cheeks. I closed my eyes, wanting to shut him out. "I'm sorry. Fuck, I'm so sorry," he breathed, cradling my entire head in his hands. "I didn't mean that. It's just so hard to leave you right now. But I know you need time with Embry and…"

I tasted my own salty tears in his mouth as he abandoned his apology in favor of kissing me. His tongue plunged hungrily in a kiss that was hard yet sweet and so full of changing emotions I could scarcely keep up. His hands roamed everywhere at once and finally swept me up into his arms as he kissed me senseless.

"I swear I didn't mean it, baby. Please forget I ever said that, okay?" he pleaded.

I nodded. _But I was still upset._

"Just…just be careful and listen to Embry?"

I nodded dutifully. _I was still hurt_.

"Promise?"

I nodded again. _The ulcer rankled. _

He set me back down on my feet. I opened my eyes. His face was a mask, his eyes lost as they desperately canvassed my features, his fingers continuing to trace and search the path of his eyes. "I'm sorry, Kim," he said again, carefully watching my response. I don't know that he saw one. I wasn't sure I felt one…at least not on the surface.

I only knew I just wanted to be alone. And in his present state Paul was unlikely to give me any space until I gave him some sort of reassurance. So I forced a small smile and mumbled something about being fine and feeling better after a hot shower.

* * *

><p>Paul looked more and more like a man possessed as he paced back and forth in the hallway outside the bathroom where Kim was showering. <em>Fuck this was some freaky shit! <em>What the fuck did he think was gonna happen to her while she was showering that he had to stand watch? _She might slip on a bar of soap or turn the hot water on too high and scald herself?_ Naw, hardly a Kimbo move. Those were the kinds of freak accidents that only happened to my Bella.

_Shit! Down boy! _Damnit, every time I thought about her these days I instantly got a King Kong erection. The thought of her slipping on a bar of soap in the shower and me having to break down the bathroom door to rescue her naked wet body was pretty hot though. _Fuck, now I was tenting my shorts._ I was so gonna have to rub one out before dinner. My near constant inner porn-a-thon had been stuck on the BMS channel for weeks now. The only time I didn't think about shagging Bella Marie Swan in some way, shape, form or scenario was when I was phased. I could get into lots of kinky shit, but shared mind group sex with my pack brothers just wasn't something I wanted to try…and definitely not with Bella! No way did I want her playing the titular role in those dogs' filthy fantasies.

"I don't want Jared coming near her while I'm gone, you understand?" Paul barked at me, rudely interrupting my forever Bella fixated train of thought.

Christ, he was a damn wreck. This shit was bad. God help me if I ever imprint. He was probably feeling guilty, and rightfully so, for the completely dickish words I'd overheard him have with Kim in the bathroom. I rolled my eyes. "Dude, I know this afternoon was horrific for you but seriously, you've gotta get your shit together." He kept pacing nervously and sniffing the air like some damned cokehead. I decided to try for humor.

"I'm so not digging this Ike Turner persona you seem to be trying on for size," I deadpanned. _Ike Turner! That was clutch. I'm so hilarious. _ No reaction. _Fuck!_ I'd have to go with heart, but with a firm tone. I was seriously not okay with Kim getting caught up in some pissing match between Paul and Jared. "Listen, try to remember today was traumatic for _everyone_. And Jared **saved her life**, man" I stressed, "don't you think he deserves..."

My sappy diatribe was abruptly cut short as Paul suddenly fisted the collar of my shirt, aggressively yanking me closer so that he was glaring down straight in my face. "STOP FUCKING SAYING THAT!" he snapped. He was shaking with fury. "I'm _ordering_ you not to let Jared near Kim while I'm gone, _do you understand?_"

_Shit_. Motherfucker really had grown Shrek-ishly huge in one afternoon. I swallowed and nodded slowly, feeling the weight of his order squeeze and take hold around me as if it was an alpha command from Sam. "_Fine,_" I gritted. _Fucking control freak! _ Paul released my collar, still scowling down at me. He nodded curtly and began walking away.

I guess maybe I was itching for an ass beating 'cause as I straightened my tee, I couldn't resist calling after him tauntingly, "So just what the fuck is it about being Beta that turns wolves into total pricks?"

Paul spun around, snarling. I sucked in an anxious breath as I thought for a moment he might actually phase right in the hallway. But he only growled. His muscles taut; his fists clenched. "Just follow fucking orders and don't let anything happen to my girl while I'm gone," he spat.

I nodded, only because I had to. Then I raised my chin up. "Yeah…._sure thing_, _Ike,_" I drawled out sarcastically. I'd pretty much resigned myself to getting an ass beating as I folded my arms over my chest defiantly. "I'm not gonna let anything happen to _my_ sister while you're gone. _Or_ while you're _around_" I asserted challengingly.

Paul growled menacingly and glared down at me with murderous eyes. He was probably trying to decide how best to kill me and make it appear like an accident to Kim. Finally he released a weighty sigh and rolled his eyes. "_Sorry,_" he grumbled. "I just…" he struggled for words. "**FUCK!**" he roared, his fists clenched, his eyes shooting daggers into the wall. I think he was contemplating punching a hole in it.

"I _**know**_ he saved her. I _know_ he deserves my gratitude. I _know_ he should fucking get to see her! Just…not _now_…not today, okay?" he beseeched, turning back to me. "I'm not ready. I can't handle sharing her right now. It's hard enough with just you. Just…please, Embry?" he winced and rubbed absently at his chest. He looked like he was in physical pain. "My wolf needs to be placated. He…he's getting too strong." He shook his head, frowning. "He wants too much. I just…I need her to stay in my house tonight. I need her to stay in my bed tonight. None of this is up for compromise."

"Dude, T.M.I." I whined with a childish groan. Paul cracked a smile. _Finally!_

"Sorry, bro. You know what I'm saying though, don't you?" His eyes pleaded for my comprehension. "The wolf is territorial. He wants to mark her," he shook his head. "Goddamnit, it's all he thinks about," he confessed. "It's like his obsession now. He still sees Jared as a threat. Even after she agreed to be my girlfriend, after I talked to Jared and he agreed to back off, even after she told my wolf she _loved him,_" he shook his head in bewilderment "he _still _insists we need to mark her otherwise someone or something will take her from us."

"Whoa! _What?_ Don't you fucking dare, Paul!" I blustered. "She doesn't even know what an imprint is yet let alone what a marking from a wolf means. That would be total bullshit!"

Paul held his hand up. "Relax! I'd never do that." He paused, his face flushing slightly with embarrassment. "But… I _did_ goad her into agreeing that she'd let me mark her if I wanted to," he winced guiltily at his own admission.

"What the fuck?" I blurted in anger, no longer caring how big he'd suddenly grown…how much stronger he'd become in such a brief amount of time. "What kind of an asshole gets a girl to agree to something that serious when she doesn't even understand it?" I knew I was probably wading into dangerous, unchartered waters as I ignored completely the fact that he'd proven to be beyond the reach of Sam's alpha command less than five hours ago.

He didn't get angry though. He looked more remorseful than ever as he tried to explain, "I just…I thought maybe it would help…pacify the wolf. But I think I made it worse. I'm pretty sure it actually just made his desire stronger now that he knows we have permission."

"No," I shook my head. "No, you _don't _have permission! Make sure he knows you don't have fucking permission because you got her to agree to something she doesn't understand and knowing your manipulative mind-fucking ways, it was likely under some twisted manner of duress," I accused.

_I was so getting an ass beating. But I still couldn't shut it. _ "Fuck, man! Clearly you're telling me all this because you want me to take Kim away from your crazy huge ass until you get your shit together, is that it?"

Paul snarled and positioned himself offensively between me and the bathroom door.

"Jesus, fucking relax! I was kidding," I protested, backing up to give him space as his eyes shifted yellow. _Mostly, I was kidding_.

Shit, I was gonna need help handling Paul if I was ever gonna be able to defend Kim's rights. He'd grown too strong…too determined in this course he was set on with her. He was already railroading Kim right and left. He hated it, and yet he couldn't even stop himself. I definitely needed Sam's help. I likely needed Jared's as well.

_Fucking hell, was I switching teams? _ No, I felt guilty just for thinking about involving Jared as I watched Paul seem to inwardly crumble again right in front of me; his previously antagonistic posture shifting into one of utter dejection and self-loathing.

"You know how the wolf is all instinct?" he asked quietly. "Primal intuition?"

I shrugged. "Yeah…sure."

"You know how your wolf can feel a vampire before you even smell it? How he knows which way to move, when to run, to crouch, how to attack each prey? All without processing it as coherent thought?"

I nodded.

"Like how he senses when danger is present? How he gets a premonition of it hours…sometimes days before it actually manifests?"

_Fuck, what was he trying to say?_ Now _my wolf_ was starting to freak out.

"I just…I dunno…" he fisted his hair nervously, "it's like…there's a motherfucking bad moon rising or some shit." He rolled his eyes, shaking his head like he felt stupid for even saying it. "I just feel it in my bones, Em. I can't ignore it, can't shake it anymore. I just…_fuck!"_ He seemed to search my face for some sign of recognition. "I can't help it. I know I'm being this overbearing psycho pansy with Kim but…I just feel like something bad's coming…something's gonna happen to take her away from me." He swallowed, hollowing out his cheeks as his jaw set in a grim line. "And I just…I have to protect her…protect _us_, from whatever it is." Paul quirked one brow after a beat and gave me a wry grin. "Fuck, I just wanna kill something half the time I get so anxious even thinking about it."

I nodded, responding with a half-hearted nervous chuckle of my own. _Note to self: don't forget to have Sam alpha command all of us not to think or speak of what we'd all seen in Jared and Quil's heads of the interaction between Kim and Alec in the hallway._

"We just need to shred that redhead is all," I suggested stoically. "All of us will feel less on edge once she's no longer hanging out there as a threat. And you and Kim…" I waved my hand awkwardly. _What the hell was I even trying to say here?_ "…it's all just new, Paul." _Yeah, that sounded like stellar reasoning. _"You're letting your nerves and this crazy imprinting misunderstanding with Jared mess with your head." He'd started growling again at the mention of Jared's name. "Nothing's going to happen to Kim, Paul."

"I can't…I can't lose her, Em," he choked on the words as they came out.

"You _**won't**_." I said it with such force and certainty I felt like an ass afterwards. _How the hell did I know that?_ Heck, if he kept acting the way he was I would probably ultimately try and convince her to leave him myself…_imprint voodoo be damned!_ I didn't even know for sure how she felt about him anyway. I really needed to stop talking out of my ass so damn much.

"I mean, really…I can't…it can't happen," Paul reiterated strangely.

"She…she's gonna be fine, Paul." _Well, that sounded weak! _ I was swiftly running out of cool, insightful- sounding things to say.

"_Christ!_" he swore, slumping against the wall and sliding down to rest on his haunches. "None of it was ever supposed to happen like this." He rubbed his face anxiously with his palm. "It wasn't supposed to be like this. Kim shouldn't even be involved in any of this horror freak show. It's not what I ever wanted for her."

_Aw, fuck me sideways, this unfolding drama was headed into fucking Lifetime territory now! And with Paul freakin' Lahote of all people! _ I took a deep breath. _ I could do this._ "Paul, I know you care about Kim. But it's never been up to you to decide what her life is supposed to be." I'd barely registered the thought before the words left my mouth. _Damn, that sounded solid! Where did I come up with this shit?_ It was like I'd downloaded instantaneous knowledge of bullshit pithy maxims simply by virtue of discovering I had an older sister.

He lifted his head up at me from where he was still crouched down against the wall, an off look in his eyes. _I was getting through to him! I was so on a roll now as the bs flowed freely from my lips._

"Kim's gotta be her own person, Paul," I continued. _I think I'd overheard this shit on a Dr. Phil episode my mom had been watching…maybe Oprah. _ "What you want is a partner who's a fully self-actualized individual…"

"_Dude!_" Paul cut me short, grimacing at me in disgust. "You sound about as gay as Jake right now. Shut it!" He rose to his feet, shaking his head in disdain. "I'm gonna get going before you offer to read me my fucking horoscope."

**A/N – So I know our hero Paul seems a bit **_**craaazy**_** (one might say "dickish") this chapter. He's a flawed character who's being forced to confront his greatest fears and take hard inventory of his worst damage. You know… one of those tedious processes requiring expansion and growth? I think he's up for the challenge, but things might get a little more intense all around the next few chapters as Paul's intuition proves right in that there is indeed a shit storm brewing. (**_**Damnit I'll never get that Creedence Clearwater Revival song out of my head now!**_**)**

**I think everyone should definitely review this chapter, even if you thought it sucked balls and wasn't worth the 13 day wait…simply because I'm posting on my birthday. And since now you know I'm a Scorpio you know it's probably never a good idea to upset me. Lol! ;) OMG, I kid…**_**I totally kid! **_** (Had to go there with the astrological sign stereotypes after Paul's horoscope comment.) **

**Have a great week and thanks for reading! **


	18. Chapter 18  Let's talk about Imprinting

**A/N – Please be advised I've brought Quil Ateara II back to life in this fanfic. In my story he's going to be known as "**_**Old **_**Old Quil" (or "**_**Really**_** Old Quil"). Quil III will still be known simply as "Old Quil". In my world Quil II was 16 when he and Ephraim and Levi made that treaty with the Cullens in 1936, putting him at age 86 in 2006 when Twilight takes place. **

**Anyone who's lost already, please pull out your calculators and official illustrated guidebooks for reference and keep in mind it's not my fault there are five effing generations named "Quil". So Quil IV will still be deceased this story (death by storm/boating accident as per SM) and as you know, Quil V has just morphed into a chocolate colored wolf. So in this story we have Quil V – young, studly wolfboy; Quil III - tribal council elder and grandpa to Quil V; and Quil II – ex-shape-shifter and treaty-maker, father to Quil III, grandpa in-law to Billy Black, and great-grandpa to Quil V and Jacob Black. Got it?**

**Quil II (aka "Really Old Quil" & "Old Old Quil") will replace Alice's visions as he is the Oracle for the tribe, able to commune with his deceased comrades and the Spirit Warriors. **

"So…maybe this is a dumb question…but who's actually going to make dinner for everybody?" I asked, towel drying my hair in the living room where Embry and I were seated.

"Not a dumb question at all. How and when my next meal is coming is consistently the most important thing on my agenda these days," Embry informed me as he shoved another bite of sandwich in his mouth.

When I snickered Embry gifted me with a huge, goofy smile. Then he asked, a little hesitantly, "How you doing?"

"Good," I squeaked, instantly convinced he'd in fact overheard my dialogue with Paul in the bathroom as I'd feared.

He nodded, swallowing another bite as he commented, "Paul was pretty freaked out 'bout what happened today with Quil."

I just nodded, wanting to change the subject. "So…about dinner? Should we…start making something?"

"Nah, Paul's dad likes to cook."

Embry snorted and I belatedly realized my eyes were bugging out of my face in shock. "What?" he teased. "Just 'cause _our_ dad apparently can't cook for shit doesn't mean everyone's dad is so unfortunate."

I smiled. _He'd called him __**our**__ dad._ I was so giddy about my new brother not hating me I decided I wouldn't mention the fact Mr. Lahote was already infamous in my mind for packing young Paul a carrot and ketchup lunch.

Embry had a shit-eating grin on his face as he finished the last of his sandwich and sank back against the couch, making a great show of pushing out his distended, full belly. "Oh, I have a feeling this evening's going to be filled with fun surprises and hilarious family moments, Kimbo," he relished with glee. "You and me meeting at summer camp really couldn't have happened at a better time."

"So…you aren't mad at me?"

He frowned and looked at me like I was high on blue Tylenol. "Why the fuck would I be mad at you?"

"I don't know. I mean, I'm pretty fucking pissed at my dad right now. And really, I kinda sorta think you should be too!" I insisted.

He chuckled. "Kimbo, Kimbo….no sperm donor has wanted to claim me for his son my entire life," he shrugged, still grinning. "I'm kinda used to it by now." He was joking around but I caught the distinct edge of bitterness in his tone. "And part of me is just so relieved to know I don't share DNA with Jared I feel like I should be sending your dad an ecard with dancing bunnies and balloons and shit that says '_Thanks for being a cheating bastard and banging my mom when you did_'. After the last words left his mouth his face scrunched up in distaste and he shuddered. "Ugh…gross." He looked contemplative. "So your…I mean, _our_ dad's kind of a weirdo, huh?"

I choked on the sudden bark of laughter that erupted from me.

"Y-yeah…sorry. Not much I can do about that."

He waved me off. "Nah, I wasn't judging, my mom's a total kook."

I shrugged. "Mine was too."

"Guess we have more in common than simply outrageously good looks," he wagged his brows at me. "Oh, and speaking of total kooks…what's the 411 on that nutso Aunt Susie of yours? Is she in any way blood related to your dad?" He looked nervous and I snorted in laughter again before my stomach dropped to the floor in horror.

"Oh, my god! Holy shit, is she the one who told you? Shit, I'm so sorry!"

"No, no…I mean, at least not directly. I overheard her on the phone with my mom telling her she'd told you and that my mom needed to do the same with me. Mom didn't take it so well but 'ole Susie didn't seem to catch on that my mom was about to reach through the phone and put her in a chokehold, she just kept rambling on and on about my mom and your dad needing to take responsibility for their actions and some shit about how great blended families were and could we make it to California for Christmas this year so we might all be one big happy extended family."

I groaned and covered my face with my hands.

"She was kinda all over the fucking place to be honest. Man, was my mom _pissed_!" Embry chuckled. "Like my mom and I are gonna rush right out to California for Christmas for some crazy woman we don't even know."

"Oh, god, more and more I'm starting to understand why Alison started doing drugs," I mused aloud, more to myself than to Embry.

"Huh? Who's Alison?"

"My first cousin…_our_ first cousin…although you're not blood-related. So Alison's dad, my Uncle Todd, is my mom's older brother. He and Susie have two kids, Bennett and Alison. Bennett's 21 and Alison is 18. I didn't really know them or hang out with them much until after my mom passed. My mom pretty well hated Susie from the get go and stopped talking to her brother after he married Susie and moved to Los Angeles. My mom kinda excelled at holding nasty grudges."

"Why didn't she like Aunt Susie?" he chuckled. "Too fucking crazy?"

I shook my head. "Aunt Susie can be somewhat off at times and out of touch but she's actually pretty cool. I think mostly my mom disliked her because she's a hoquat who grew up in Beverly Hills with a fat trust fund." I shrugged. "I think really my mom was just jealous. My uncle and Susie would always try to send us money because they knew how we were struggling and that just _really_ sent my mom into rages. She would say she'd rather eat dirt than accept their charity. But then she'd always make derogatory comments when I was little about how Uncle Todd was the smart one 'cause he'd married for money instead of love and got the hell out of La Push. So, I was surprised after I got to spend more time with Susie and Uncle Todd to realize how wrong she was. I mean, they're totally hot for each other still…it's somewhat nauseating at times. Anyway, Alison and Bennett got the best of both gene pools if you ask me. Alison is drop dead gorgeous. She's like this cross between a Jessica Alba and Angelina Jolie. And Bennett is equally attractive. Maggie swoons every time I show her photos of him from my visits. Anyhow, they're really fun. You'll love 'em. And they'll totally love you!"

"Awesome," he shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm down for some cool cousins."

"And Aunt Susie's eccentric but she means well. She'll buy you absurdly expensive gifts and try to convince you she bought them at bargain stores and she'll slip one hundred dollar bills in your luggage and coat pockets when you're not looking if you won't take the money she tries to give you. I mean, they've tried to get me to let them buy me a new car and they've even offered to pay for my college if I go."

"YESSSSS!" Embry jumped up and fist pumped the air. "Finally! My whole fucking life I've been waiting for a crazy Auntie Mame to bankroll me! Shit, why didn't you tell me this straight out of the gates?" He pulled me out of my chair and into a tight hug, lifting me off the ground and spinning us in circles. "I fucking LOVE crazy Aunt Susie!" He set me down but still gripped my upper arms tightly, grinning with boyish delight. "We're so spending Christmas with her! She and I will totally bond over being the outsiders, you know? I'll work the sympathy angle over growing up without a dad, give her the sob story of bearing the stigma of being the bastard kid on the rez and I'll be driving home from Cali in a new Tesla Roadster! I'm totally sending your dad a 'thank you' ecard for knocking my mom up."

After drying my hair and retrieving my own clothes from the dryer, Embry and I decided to set the dinner table and make a salad while we waited for Paul and his dad to come home. We were in the kitchen chopping veggies on opposite sides of the island countertop when Embry's offhanded, yet poignant comment about no one claiming him his whole life played over in my mind again, nagging me and making me even more angry with my dad.

"Hey…um…about what you said before, about no one claiming you as their son, well…I just wanted you to know," I shrugged nervously, "I would've always been happy and proud to claim you as my little brother. In case…in case you didn't already know that."

He looked up from where he was massacring a tomato. At first his face seemed to register some foreign emotion I hadn't yet seen him express before it shifted to his trademark goofy smirk. "Aw, _Kim-bo_!" he teased, wagging his chopping knife at me as he shook his head. "It's like one after school special moment after another with you. Try to remember I'm an ultra powerful, studly, supernatural werewolf, not the gay younger brother you clearly always wanted, okay?"

"Whatever!" I chuckled. "You're the one throwing out Auntie Mame references like you've been performing dinner theater in Forks all summer long."

His mouth gaped open in mock surprise. "Oh, my god, Kimbo, did you just make a joke? You see? I am such a good influence on you already!" He grinned and began demolishing another tomato. "I would've claimed you too, Kim," he said softly, without looking up at me.

I smiled and bit my lip. "Thanks, Em."

There was an awkward but sweet silence between us for a moment before I watched as the grin slid from Embry's face. He shifted nervously and looked up at me. "Um…speaking of…_claiming_…I wanted to talk to you about something. Could I uh…could I see the back of your neck, please?"

_What? What on earth would he want with...oh! _ His eyes were intensely serious, and they looked a little fearful. I blushed and wiped my hands on a towel before lifting my hair up and turning around for his inspection.

He let out a long, low whistle followed by a murmured "fuck". I quickly dropped my hair and spun around to face him. Now he looked rather pissed.

"It's not a big deal," I hurriedly assured him.

"Is it true you told him he could mark you, Kim?"

"Um…ye-ah," I stammered. "Why? Is it really such a big thing?"

_Did I actually want to know?_ I started rambling rather than wait for Embry to answer. "I mean, it seems like such an important deal to Paul and now you're freaking out and acting all weird about it." _I heard the quiver in my own voice. _ "It's just like an intense hickey that has some kind of symbolic meaning for his wolf, right?"

"It's a big deal because the legends say once a wolf marks his mate it's like final," Embry explained. "As in…game over, no other potential mates for you, marked one," he expounded. He was clearly not gonna pull any punches with this one, further stressing, "It's believed you're tied together by the marking and you can't even procreate with anyone else after that."

My mouth froze in a round "O" shape. A myriad of thoughts and emotions raced through my mind. Embry's eyes widened and I knew I must've looked on the verge of another panic attack because he came around the counter to stand right next to me, placing a supportive hand on my upper arm.

"But I mean…it's only a crazy legend, so who really knows," he chuckled nervously, trying to play it off now that he'd completely freaked me out. "Kim? _Kimmie?_ Say something? I mean, it could just be one of those wacky superstitions. Like the one moms tell their kids about not swimming after eating, 'cause they're really just afraid they're gonna be more likely to piss and poop in the pool. Or like getting pregnant from a toilet seat?" he suggested weakly.

I didn't know what to say. Why would Paul ever want to be tied to me for life like that? Why would his wolf? We were only in high school. It didn't make any sense.

"Shit, Kim…I just thought you should know what it meant. I mean, I just think maybe you and Paul should cool it with the neck hickeys for a while is all. You know…just in case it's more than a wacky wives' tale."

I nodded, still stunned. "Sure…sure…right. I mean…we've only been…" I searched for the right words, "_hanging out_...for three days? It's not like I'd want to be _mated_ to him for life," I swallowed then cleared my throat anxiously. "I mean…I'm still not sure where I stand with him and besides…I don't even know where to file my feelings for Jared."

"_Really?_" Embry sounded appalled. "You're still hung up on Jared?"

"I didn't say that!" I bristled defensively.

"Sorry…I mean… he's okay, I guess. I don't actually dislike him as much anymore," he acknowledged. "If you still have feelings for him I'm totally cool with that," he nodded agreeably. The look of sheer disgust on his face clearly spoke otherwise though and I cracked up.

"I don't get it. Why do you hate him so much?"

"I've never _hated_ him. I mean, I hated him when he was Beta…he just got overly zealous about it or something. I don't know. I guess it's a lot of pressure being second in rank or something. I think mostly it's just because he always manages to be the good guy…the hero." He rolled his eyes. "I know he was legitimately the hero today but it's just like, that's always his M.O. to swoop in and save the day and get all the credit. He's got this squeaky clean image to most people on the rez, even though he's whored around every bit as much as Paul. He's the football star, the good student, the perfect son…somehow he's always the winner. I don't know. And his dad's just so irritating. He walks around the rez like he's some big swinging dick just because he's some small time attorney in Forks defending traffic tickets."

"But that's not Jared! That's his dad! And Jared's an _ex_-football star now, Em. You know he had to quit the team and give up a scholarship? He has to deal with everyone teasing him about his mom being a pill popper, he's had to worry about her and still hold his head high amongst the rez gossips. Did you know he defended me today at school and made a point of publically declaring me Paul's girlfriend?"

"I know. I know about what happened with Alec." Embry's eyes suddenly looked so murderous it startled me.

"I'm fine," I reassured softly. "It was just…a bizarre misunderstanding was all. No one needs to kill Alec, okay?"

Embry rolled his eyes and nodded.

"But you see what I'm saying, right?" I persisted. "He's being the better person! He totally backed off when I asked him to. In fact…" a realization dawned on me, "he never even tried to push himself on me the way Paul did. He was never aggressive, he was just sweet and walked me to class and invited me to the beach. He didn't get weird until he showed up at my house smelling sex and Paul on me and wolfed out!"

Embry nodded, then drawled sarcastically, "Yeah…yeah, right…he only broke your bathroom door down when you wouldn't let him in, freaked out on you for having bruised wrists, coerced you into telling him I did it, then proceeded to beat my ass after promising you he wouldn't even mention it, almost phased inside your kitchen out of jealousy, putting both you and your property in danger. Should I go on?"

I opened my mouth to argue but was suddenly at a loss, so I crossed my arms and leaned into the counter.

"Look, I'm not saying Paul is _perfect_," Embry stressed. "And I'm not jazzed about how weird and possessive he's been here lately. But with Paul what you see is what you get for the most part. And this is exactly my point about Jared! He _always_ somehow comes out smelling like the rose. I'm not saying he's his father. But I just don't trust him. And I think, as paranoid as Paul is acting, part of me understands his mistrust because you just don't grow up with a father like Jared's and not pick up a few bad habits."

"What are you saying? Paul's been acting strangely because he's worried about Jared? But that's absurd! Jared's already admitted to me he's whored around, but that doesn't make him a cheater or conniver like his dad. C'mon, Embry, the worst you can say about Jared is he's a man-whore and he got a little angry and possessive when it came to his fear of me being hurt before. Paul's doing the same thing now! And it's not like I can even be mad at Jared for never noticing me. I can be hurt, but it's not like he did it maliciously or on purpose. Honestly, I think he's sorta just clueless…"

Embry jumped up. "Again, that's the part that bugs me! I swear sometimes that's just what he _wants _everyone to think! He's a smart guy, Kim. He's got this unassuming babyface jock persona he presents on the surface but I've been inside his head when we're phased and he's no idiot. I don't know why the fuck he never noticed you before. That remains an unsolved mystery. But I do know, it doesn't add up. I'm not saying he's lying because I saw the genuine confusion in his mind when he saw you the first day back at school. There's just something so…Machiavellian though about how his mind works…like he's making his moves and choosing his words carefully most the time because he's expecting to run for political office one day or some shit. You know?"

"Can't we just drop it, please?" I whined. "I'm tired of hearing you and Paul bitch about him and gang up on him and his family. He's not perfect but he's a good person, Embry, and he's your pack brother. And more than ever I'd think you'd be able to see that after today. And we're just friends! He's been the loser in this bizarre love triangle and honestly I think he's handled it pretty damn well."

"See!" Embry's eyes widened and he excitedly shook his pointer finger at me. "That's what I'm talking about! Maybe he just _wants_ you to think he's being the bigger person and handling it so well. Maybe that's part of his political strategy."

"Oh, good grief. This conversation is over, Embry." I rolled my eyes. "I won't hear anymore."

"I agree with Kim," a deep male voice announced and Embry and I both jerked our heads towards the kitchen doorway to find a tall, dark-haired Quileute man who looked to be in his mid to late thirties, leaned against the frame. I didn't need an introduction to know it was Paul's dad. He and Paul shared very similar facial features, including nearly identical smiles. His eyes weren't as dark or as deep set as Paul's though, and they also had this unique, wonderful quality where they seemed to actually _twinkle_…like they were always smiling no matter what the expression on the man's face might be. "You sound about as jealous as Paul the way you talk about that Cameron kid," he informed Embry.

"Holy fuck!" Embry exclaimed. "How the hell did you sneak up on me?"

His smirk deepened and he looked even more like Paul. "The hip trick back in my day was to be a ninja, not turn into a big hairy mutt who ate his dad out of house and home."

"Ugh!" Embry groaned. "That was awful. Worse than even one of your dorky accountant jokes. Kimbo, I keep telling him to stop trying to be funny. His humor gets worse the more he tries."

"You must be Kim." He walked over and held his hand out in greeting. I nodded and mumbled 'hello' as I accepted his hand. "Pleasure to meet you. I'm Kyle Lahote, Paul's father." I might have been an alien from outer space the way he was grinning and staring at me in awe. I kept smiling back but my cheeks were starting to hurt and he was making no indication he intended to release my hand.

"You're creeping her out, Kyle," Embry warned in a sing-song voice.

Kyle chuckled and blushed, releasing my hand. _Paul's dad was a blusher? And an accountant? _"Sorry, Kim. I've just…I've waited eighteen years for Paul to bring a girl home for dinner." He shook his head. "I'm still just in shock is all."

Now _I_ was blushing furiously. "It's okay, Mr. Lahote." _Shoot! _ I cringed. He'd just told me to call him Kyle and then I went and called him Mr. Lahote. Ugh! Now he would think the only girl his son had ever brought home for dinner was a moron!

"Kyle," he repeated warmly.

"Sorry…_Kyle_," I stressed.

He held his hand up. "No apology necessary." He smiled wide, revealing perfect white teeth. I wondered why on earth Paul's mom had ever strayed. He seemed so genuine, so kind. He turned his attention to Embry. "So what're you upset with Jared for now? He give you another beat down?"

"Naw, he's just…whatever…it's nothing. I was just telling Kim that I can't completely trust him is all."

"Well, you know, Embry, that kid's had his share of bad times in life too…just maybe different from yours," he imparted sagely. "And like I always tell Paul, people either will or won't deceive you in life. That's not something within your control. But if you go about expecting people to disappoint you, it's almost a given they will."

"Great advice, Pops!" Paul intoned sarcastically as he strode into the kitchen to join us.

"_Seriously!_" Embry concurred. "If we put a bad curly 70s wig on him he could pass for the _Brady Bunch_ dad with that kind of lame parental guidance."

"Jesus Mary and Joseph!" Kyle exclaimed when he saw how much Paul had grown. "You're **huge**, boy!"

Paul ignored him. His eyes had locked with mine upon entering the room and he headed straight for me, scooping me up into a tight bear hug. After he'd kissed and sniffed the top of my head and peppered kisses all over my laughing face to his satisfaction, he tucked me into his side beneath his arm and finally turned back to his father. "Yeah? _And?_"

"_And_ you're going to bankrupt me if you start eating any more than you already are!"

"Quit complaining and make my dinner, old man!" Paul teased. He was running his hands soothingly up and down my arms and back and I snuggled in even closer to him. He smelled like heaven…as usual, and I had to suppress the wild urge to sniff at him right in front of his dad.

Kyle chuckled and responded good-naturedly, "I'm on it, kid."

"Can I help you?" I offered eagerly.

"_No!_" Paul and Kyle both answered in unison.

"Wow, I'm not a total disaster in the kitchen you know?" I tried to sound offended.

"Did you see that?" Embry boasted. "That's her_ second_ attempted joke of the day! We're totally rubbing off on her." He fist-bumped with Paul. "We'll have her up to three jokes a day by next week." He stroked his chin. "I'm still undecided as to whether we should leave her innate sense of gullibility completely intact or not. With it she's a danger to herself but she's also a seriously fun target for our own amusement." He sniggered. "Remember when I had her thinking Slim Jims were a secret weapon against vampires?"

Paul chuckled. "Did you show that one to Quil or Jacob yet?"

"Guys! I'm standing right here." I reminded them. Paul squeezed me and kissed my temple.

"Kim, you're a brave girl for hanging with this crowd," Kyle praised.

"Are you sure I can't help you make dinner?" I checked again.

"Positive," Kyle assured with a smile. "You're not allergic to peanuts are you?"

"No."

"Yes!" Embry cheered, his eyes widening with delight. "We're so having that stomach lining dish for dinner tonight, aren't we?"

_Stomach lining? With peanuts? _I was suddenly skeptical as to how much Kyle's culinary skills had improved since the days of packing carrot and ketchup lunches.

"Yes, we're having guatita," Kyle confirmed. "That sound okay, Kim?"

_Guatita?_ "Um…sure. Whatever you make I'm sure I'll love." I smiled brightly and tried to look convincing even though I was starting to be nervous as to whether I'd be able to muscle this meal down.

"It's this awesome stew with potatoes, peanut butter and tripe," Embry informed me gleefully.

_Oh, dear, who would think to put peanut butter and potatoes together? And in a stew centered around the stomach lining of a cow of all things?_ I forced the smile to remain on my face as I digested this new piece of knowledge as Kyle began rummaging through the fridge and cabinets gathering ingredients and cookware.

Paul must have sensed my distress because he turned me fully into him and bent to whisper in my ear, "Don't worry. I swear it's better than it sounds."

And it was. It was truly quite possibly the most unexpectedly delicious meal I'd ever consumed. Who would've guessed peanut butter went so well with potatoes? I wound up eating an embarrassingly large amount of it, almost as much as Paul and Embry!

Paul had helped his dad prepare it, and somehow that made it even more appetizing and appealing. At one point Embry caught me ogling Paul as he moved gracefully about the kitchen, adeptly assisting his dad with the meal preparation. "You're such a fucking chick!" he whisper-announced with disgust. "You're all complete suckers for any display of domesticity whatsoever." He shook his head and griped, "A bunch of sexist pigs the lot of you."

Paul was sweet and attentive all night long, holding and stroking my hand under the table off and on throughout dinner. The dinner conversation proved mostly to be hilarious thanks to Embry and Paul's antics. Kyle kept fairly quiet, displaying a sweet and unassuming nature, contributing his fatherly advice only every now and then to the exchange. Embry shared with us his guilt over Jake's recent transformation as he disclosed it was Jake's fit of anger over Bella asking him for Embry's phone number after our encounter at the supermarket the other night which prompted his phasing. As a result Embry seemed more conflicted than ever over his feelings for Bella.

Kyle asked if I was nervous about the imprinting meeting tomorrow. I shrugged and said I really had no idea what to expect. Paul seemed to grow more anxious next to me the more we discussed the topic of the upcoming imprinting conversation with the elders.

Embry left first. I gave him the keys to my house and he agreed to bring me fresh clothes in the morning before school in exchange for a place to crash since he was eager to avoid the awkward tension with his mother. Knowing my dad I bet my life he'd be conspicuously absent for the next several days, living out of his shop as long as he could possibly stand it rather than face the father-daughter confrontation which was now inevitable.

I was fairly uncomfortable with the idea of spending the night at Paul's house with his dad there but Paul wouldn't hear of me leaving. Even Kyle insisted I stay, saying I'd be doing him a favor since Paul would be bouncing off the walls with worry and driving him crazy otherwise after the scare we'd had today. Then he cinched the deal by reassuring me Paul would be very comfortable sleeping on the couch while I took Paul's room. Paul bit the insides of his cheeks at that and shot his father a death glare so fierce I expected his eyes might shift yellow. Kyle just laughed uproariously and Paul grudgingly agreed.

I was fairly exhausted from my day by the time Paul tucked me into his bed. He crawled in next to me and I curled against him as he stroked his fingers through my hair. Our earlier upset in the bathroom was far from my mind as he kissed my nose and eyes and whispered again and again how sorry he was for how he'd reacted. I yawned and reassured him it was okay, I wasn't mad. _I was never mad. _I joked it was more or less my tragic flaw in life.

As I was drifting off to dreamland he interlaced his fingers with mine and the last thing I remembered was him begging me no matter what happened tomorrow, to remember he'd always noticed me, he'd always wanted me, even without the imprint.

* * *

><p>The next day of school was fairly uneventful, which was quite a welcome change. Paul dropped me off and then went to spend the day training Quil and Jacob along with Sam and Jared. Embry was the only one allowed to go to school, and mostly because Paul insisted someone babysit me, I think. Truthfully I didn't mind as I wasn't anxious to have any run-ins with Alec or his friends by myself anytime soon. I tried to put the upcoming imprinting meeting out of my mind and focus on catching up on all the schoolwork I was behind on.<p>

After school Embry drove me over to Leah & Sam's house. He declined to come in, saying he could smell Jacob inside the house and wasn't ready to deal with that drama. So he took off to run some mysterious "errand", saying he'd meet up with me and Leah at Billy's in an hour.

Sam shouted for me to come on in before my foot was even on the front step. I went inside and followed the sound of raised voices, which lead me to the kitchen, where to my bewilderment I found Jake and Leah in a heated argument over of all crazy things…_America's ongoing resistance to metrication? _

"All I wanted was a damn tablespoon to measure some creamer, Leah!" Jake was shouting. "How am I supposed to figure out how much creamer I'm putting in when you've got crazy measuring spoons in this kitchen marked in grams and milliliters?" He was way bigger than the last time I'd seen him in school and his previously long hair had been cropped close to his head. It seemed he wasn't entirely comfortable with his new look though. I noticed as he argued with Leah he kept running his hand through it and fussing with it as he checked his look in the reflection of the microwave.

Leah held a metal spoon up to his face, drawing his attention away from his new do'. "See this spoon marked '15mL'? That means fifteen milliliters, which is the same as your tablespoon, ass!" She smacked the spoon against his nose.

"Ouch!" he rubbed his nose and glared at Leah. "Why the hell can't it just say 'tablespoon' then? Why you gotta be all hoity toity with your special European spoons that aren't labeled properly? Who measures anything this way? It's completely pretentious."

Leah rolled her eyes and slammed a mixing bowl onto the counter, mumbling under her breath, "Only the _entire fucking planet_, Jake."

"Whatever," he grumbled, "no one I know does. You're so weird. We're never gonna adopt that crazy system so stop trying to impress people with your elitist measuring cups."

"Well it just so happens all of my recipes are in metric units of measurement, Jake. So I'm not simply being 'pretentious' and 'weird'! And the fact that you'd consider it such is further evidence of how ludicrous and completely emotionally based your resistance to metrication is."

Leah noticed me then and her eyes brightened as she smiled and motioned me to come in. "Kimmie! Hey!" She came around the counter to pull me into a friendly hug.

Jake sidled up beside me as well and also came in for a hug. "Hey, Kim. How you doing?" He looked me over for injuries as we pulled apart, keeping hold of my hands in his. "I'm so sorry about what happened yesterday with Quil. You know, he feels just awful. You should really talk to him about it when he gets his wolf under control and is out of quarantine."

"Yeah…I'll definitely do that. Thanks, Jake."

"Oh, and sorry about the other day in the hallway! I mean, I was just bitter about losing my friend and all the weird stuff that was going on. I'm sorry if I offended you with my comments about Jared. I've had some time for personal reflection these last few days and I'm not above admitting when I've been in the wrong."

"Um…okay. It really wasn't a big deal but, thanks." He was still holding onto my hands. It was like he was waiting for something as he gazed down at me expectantly. "Um…I really like your haircut?"

"You do?" His eyes lit up. "For real? You're not just saying that?" He instantly started grooming it again. "Because it's just so hard to get used to seeing it like this, you know? I mean I had my hair long for like _ever!_" He groaned, rubbing his eyes with his hand. "Truthfully I'm just so scared of how Bella's going to react to it, you know? She really loved my long hair, Kim!"

_Oh, my!_ I had not a clue as to what to say next. Thankfully Leah saved me by pulling Jake back into their argument.

"You do know you already use the metric system on a daily basis more than you even realize, right? I'll show you. I bet you know more conversions than you think. I mean, what's in a tablespoon, Jake? How do you measure the size of a tablespoon to know it's a tablespoon?" she challenged.

He shrugged. "It's three teaspoons."

"Okay, fine," she grumbled. "But what's a teaspoon? How much is in a teaspoon, huh?"

Jake rolled his eyes and smirked. "Sixteen pinches make up a teaspoon, Leah."

I had to stifle a giggle with my hand. I knew she was trying to get him to say it was either 5 milliliters or 5 grams.

Leah's mouth gaped open in disgusted irritation. "You've gotta be kidding me?" She tilted her head. "And what the fuck is a pinch, Jake? How does a '_pinch_' qualify as any sort of standard as a unit of measurement?" Leah exclaimed, exasperated.

"Well, duh…" Jake elucidated smugly, "its half a dash and equal to two smidgens." He folded his muscled arms over his chest.

"_Ugh!_" Leah screeched. "Who are you? Fucking Betty Crocker? How do you even know these wacky conversions? Do you realize how insane you sound measuring things in dashes, smidgens and pinches?"

"Not really." He looked genuinely bewildered by her outburst. "Makes perfect sense to me. We've all been cooking and measuring that way forever. It's the American way, and they'll never make us change it."

"Well it's actually not because we adopted it from England but…_whatever_, Jake." Leah shook her head, walked to the fridge and pulled a blueberry muffin from a pressure-sealed metal container. She handed it to Jake without a word.

"Ooh, blueberry! Thanks, Leah," Jake gushed in surprise and raised the muffin to his mouth.

"Leah!" Sam chastised, racing into the kitchen so fast his form was a blur as he snatched the muffin out of Jake's hand. "Damnit, woman, you can't just blow someone up for having a different opinion than you!" he berated.

"Why not?" She batted her eyelashes innocently at him. "_That's_ the American way." She smirked.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Is not! Cut it out and go easy on Jake, will you?"

"Hey!" Jake threw his hands up at Sam. "Why you stealing my muffin?"

"Because it's an _explosive_, pup" Sam informed straight-faced. He placed a brotherly hand on Jake's shoulder. "Rule number one in this kitchen: never consume anything you haven't seen Leah eat first. Got it?"

Jake's eyes widened in horror as they registered Sam's sincerity and then turned to glare at a laughing Leah. _ So Leah mixed explosives into blueberry muffins? _

She shrugged. "What? You have supernatural healing abilities. It probably wouldn't have even left a scratch on your internal organs." Leah resumed her mixing and measuring, humming "A Spoonful of Sugar" from _Mary Poppins _as she walked across the kitchen to another cupboard.

Sam shook his head at Jake. "And I thought I already told you rule number two in this house is never to engage Leah in conversations about the Metric system." He waved his hand. "Try to remember she's got that whole scientific mind thing going on." He leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, "Her thinking's just too linear to appreciate the benefits of our Imperial system."

Jake nodded. "I'm gonna go check in with Jared and Quil in the forest. Later, Kim."

As Jake exited, Sam came around the counter to stand near Leah. "Leah! You are _not_ to blow up any members of my pack!" Sam warned severely.

"Oh, pooh!" she pouted, sticking out her tongue at him. "You're such a spoil sport, big Alpha. What the hell am I supposed to do for fun around here?" She winked at me then she walked over to where a scowling Sam was leaning against the counter. She wound her arms around his neck, going on tiptoe to gaze up at him. "You could always _try_ punishing me later for being a bad American…_and_ a naughty pack member" she suggested, rather _suggestively_.

Sam's nostrils flared and his chest lifted up and down as he breathed deeply. He shook his head and swallowed. "You're making Kim uncomfortable," he admonished unevenly, his eyes never leaving Leah's face.

"Mmm…am I? Am I really making _Kim_ uncomfortable?" she asked Sam directly, pressing herself fully against him. He growled low in his chest. Leah strained up higher and bit him lightly on the side of his jaw.

_Well, yeah…now they were both making me uncomfortable. _

Sam snarled. And then he snapped. He grabbed Leah by the ass and hoisted her up, her legs winding tightly around his waist as he slammed her back against the pantry cabinets so hard I could have sworn I heard the wood splinter and crack. Leah moaned and Sam growled as they proceeded to engage in what appeared to be a battle to see who could suck the other's face off first.

"I'll just…uh…wait outside…uh…yeah…" I rambled uneasily as I backed up slowly at first, then turned and darted from the kitchen and straight out the front door.

Thirty minutes or so later Leah emerged from the house and walked over to me where I was sitting on the curb. "God, I'm SO sorry about that, Kim!" Leah apologized, blushing prettily. "I'm _ovulating,_" she explained, waving her hand in the air as if that fact alone accounted for the soft core porn I'd just been subjected to in her kitchen.

"Oh, um…no worries, we're cool," I dismissed.

"It's like being a crazy nympho bitch in heat when you're with a shape-shifting werewolf, Kim," she justified, frowning at me like I just wasn't getting it.

"Oh, okay." I felt uncomfortable looking at her so I started walking in the direction of Billy Black's house.

She put a hand on my upper arm and pulled me to a stop and I reluctantly turned to face her. "No seriously, Kim, you need to know this shit if you're going to keep hanging out with Paul and Jared," she stressed. "So you know how they have their super duper wolf senses, right? Well, because of that they'll know precisely the second you go into your heat cycle. And that triggers their wolf side to unleash these crazy mating pheromones and before you know it you're fucking like rabbits in your mom's closet in the middle of a family dinner, or in a ditch on the side of the road, or against the side of Billy Black's garage."

"Oh…uh…wow…oh, my…that's sort of…I…okay…"

"Yeah, so anyway…be forewarned, okay? Or you'll be having sex with Paul in the middle of the cafeteria at lunchtime or something. Ugh…yet another weird aspect of this whole ordeal. I mean, at first you think it's all hot that they can smell your arousal with their super sensitive olfactory, right? But god forbid you eat a chili dog and suddenly you're hiking a mile into the woods just to pass some wicked bad gas without those bloodhounds knowing." She shook her head. "Man, I was so backed up and bloated from holding it in all the time the first few weeks I lived with Sam."

_Wow, she was presenting some horrible realities I hadn't yet even considered. _

She sighed. "After a while I got tired of having to drive into town just to pass wind and I simply stopped caring. And _now_," she tilted her head to the side in deep consideration, "I'm actually thinking the 'ole bedcover Dutch oven trick might just be the most effective way to take down a badass Alpha werewolf if need be." She nodded to herself, as if she'd just made a pivotal personal decision.

Maybe Paul was right. Leah _was_ a bit off.

"It's all about finding ways to use their superhero powers against them. That's the key!" she advised sagely as we strolled several houses down the block to Billy Black's home.

"So…you bake explosives into blueberry muffins?" I asked tentatively, in a half-hearted attempt at changing the subject.

"Yeah. Well, I don't actually _bake_ the explosive part…cause that would blow up the house. I bake the muffins and then I inject them with the explosive element, see?"

"Is that some sort of… _hobby_?"

She snorted. "Oh, my, gosh, you're too sweet, Kimmie! Honey, we have bloodsucking vampires trying to cross our border every other night. And the only thing standing between them and us is Sam and his band of misfit merry wolfboys. You think I'm willing to put my life in their bungling paws? So far they've done more bodily damage to you, the latest imprint, than that redheaded vamp they've been trying to catch for weeks now."

"But vampires don't eat blueberry muffins, do they?" I pointed out.

Her shrill laughter rang through the air as she waved her hand dismissively. "They don't have to, honey." She snorted and linked arms with me. "Oh, and when we get to Billy's, you should know, Old Old Quil is going to be there today."

"You mean Old Quil?" I asked.

"No, I mean _Really_ Old Quil, Old Quil's dad."

"Oh, okay." I had heard of him before. "He's kind of like a legend on the rez, right?"

"Yeah, he's the only surviving member from the last generation of Quileute shape-shifters. I insisted Sam make sure his old ass was here today because honestly, Billy and Old Quil don't know jack. All they know is what they read in the legends. At least Old Old Quil has some practical firsthand experience, right? He's kind of weird though and he can be a grouchy prick at times. He's half blind from glaucoma and cataracts and he's constantly communing with the dead, so that alone makes for an awkward social call. But to top it off, he reverted to speaking exclusively in Quileute about twenty years ago and so now when he speaks in English it's like this broken English with a weird accent that doesn't even sound native. I mean, he used to speak English perfectly fine in addition to Quileute for his entire life and now he can't speak it without this odd accent? It's such a total Madonna move if you ask me. I think he thinks it adds to his whole soothsayer mystique."

We arrived to find Billy, Old Quil and Really Old Quil seated around the coffee table in the living room. Really Old Quil was sitting and staring off into space while Old Quil and Billy talked about Quil and Jacob's recent phasings and how they were handling it. Embry had yet to arrive.

I went to get a glass of water for myself from the kitchen and noticed the walls leading down the hallway were covered with strange poster board collages. One was comprised of nothing but sports cars with Jake's class photo plastered directly in the center. Another one had cut out catalogue photos of male models in slick business suits with more class photo cut outs of Jake's head pasted over top of the model's faces. _What in the world? _ There were other collages of fancy mansions and yachts, again with Jacob's goofy, smiling face as the centerpiece to these impressive displays of material gain. Leah came up next to me in the hallway, sniggering behind her hand when she saw what held my attention.

"Just wait...it gets even better," she promised, grabbing my wrist and leading me further down the hallway to Jake's bedroom. The door was shut but she paid no mind, simply turning the knob and entering without pause. She pointed me in the direction of the wall next to Jacob's bed.

"Oh. My. God." I breathed in disbelief. On the wall were three big poster board collages filled with cheesy romantic couple scenes. Couples holding hands running along the beach, standing hand in hand in church getting married, many others locked in various torrid embraces, even several ones depicting childbirth scenes and various laughing, happy family scenarios. But the truly disturbing part was, cut out photos of Jake and Bella's faces had been pasted atop the male and female bodies in every single photo, making Jake and Bella the couple in every queer scenario depicted. I turned and gaped in horror at Leah's laughing countenance. "Leah, this is like the room of a serial killer!"

She guffawed. "I know, right?" She shook her head. "Fucking classic Bimbo Black. If he ever gets her into his bedroom she'll be running screaming and getting her dad to file a restraining order."

"What the hell are these for?" I questioned.

Her grin widened, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Well…since you _asked_…" she began eagerly.

"Leah! Kimberly!" Billy barked from the doorway to Jake's room. "What are you doing in here?" he demanded crossly. "Come on now, we're about to get started!"

Leah rolled her eyes but we both mumbled our apologies as we exited the room. Embry had arrived and was waiting in the living room. We found him on the couch, looking anxious and like he was possibly about to be nauseous. We took seats on either side of him on the couch.

"What's wrong?" I whispered. I noticed his eyes were trained on Really Old Quil, who was still sitting in the same worn chair, staring off into space just as we'd left him.

Embry leaned in close to my ear. "Old Old Quil kinda gives me the creeps," he confessed. "When he stares off into space and gets that glassy-eyed communing with the dead look I always imagine his eyes are gonna start glowing like David Lo Pan's in _Big Trouble in Little China_." I snorted. The image Embry had conjured up was too much. Billy shot me a disapproving look as he wheeled into the room to join us. There was a loud flushing sound from the bathroom. Embry groaned. "And Old Quil just dropped the kids off at the pool and it's seriously gnarly smelling." Leah snickered as Old Quil emerged from the toilet, whistling happily and beaming with delight. "Fuuuuck!" Embry mumbled bitterly, covering his mouth and nose with his hand. "Can we make this a quick imprint discussion, please?"

Old Quil sat down on the other side of Billy's wheelchair in a wooden chair from the kitchen. He smiled amicably at the three of us on the couch. "Well now, let's talk about imprinting, shall we?" He and Billy chuckled heartily like he'd just told the greatest joke. Leah shook her head, mumbling something I didn't quite catch that caused Embry to snicker. Really Old Quil continued to stare off like a space cadet.

_Great! This was the critical gathering of tribal elders? The superior intellect of the reservation that would answer all my burning questions?_

Old Quil looked directly at me. "Kimberly Callaway, I understand you are a new imprint as of this week?" All eyes but Really Old Quil's turned to me.

I shrugged. "Um…I guess?"

"She can't really answer that since she doesn't know what an imprint is yet," Leah piped up. "Hence… the reason we're here today," she added sarcastically.

"Oh!" Old Quil looked surprised. "Okay?" He turned a confused face to Billy for further clarification. Billy motioned him closer and they proceeded to whisper amongst themselves.

Embry buried his head in his hands and slumped forward, mumbling, "This is such a total waste of time."

While Billy and Quil continued their conspiratorial chatter, a giggly Leah leaned behind Embry's back towards me and whispered excitedly, "Those collages are Jacob's '_vision boards_'. He's using '_The Secret' _to try and get into Bella's hooha."

_Say what?_

Embry quickly stifled his initial shout of laughter with his hands as Leah fell into peals of unrestrained giggles.

_What? What the heck were they talking about?_

I looked up to find Billy glaring at us. "Leah! Embry! Enough!"

At that point Leah was wheezing, biting her lip and waving her hand in front of her face she was laughing so hard. Embry wasn't faring much better. _I didn't get it. What was so funny? What was 'The Secret'? What were 'vision boards'? _

Even Really Old Quil was cackling in his seat, still staring off at nothing. Then he surprised everyone when he suddenly croaked, "Ephraim's grandson make great hairdresser one day."

Billy cleared his throat, shooting daggers at Really Old Quil. Leah literally fell onto the floor in a fit of hysterics. Embry was doubled over, doing his best to suppress his mirth as Billy explained defensively, "My Jacob is a very forward-thinking young man and his visionary, positive-minded focus will serve him well as the true Alpha and the Chief of our tribe one day."

Really Old Quil cackled again and shook his head. "I love great-grandson. But he not true Alpha. Quileute Alpha not based only on bloodline like British Monarchy." He shrugged his ancient shoulders. "Otherwise we wind up with Alpha who want be Bella tampon. This no good mind-frame for battle."

Embry joined Leah on the floor at that comment and I was about ready to piss myself I was laughing so hard as I fell over on the couch.

"Dad!" Old Quil reprimanded. "Cut it out! You know how sensitive Billy is about Jacob's behavior." He looked at Billy apologetically and waved a dismissive hand. "He's just showing off for the kids. He doesn't mean that."

"Hmmf!" Really Old Quil crossed his arms over his chest and proceeded to mumble smugly, "I know who true Alpha."

"Let's talk about imprinting, shall we?" Old Quil suggested, eager to move things along as Billy sulked. We all quieted down and settled back into our seats on the couch.

"Imprinting," Old Quil began, "is the equivalent of perfect love at first sight for our tribe's shape-shifting protector wolves. It is a rare and beautiful phenomenon and those who are fortunate enough to experience it are truly blessed among our people."

Really Old Quil snorted, earning him another glare from his son.

Billy shook his head. "No, no, no, it's not like love at first sight. It's more like gravity shifting…suddenly when you imprint it's not the earth holding you here anymore it's the girl you've imprinted on."

Embry shifted next to me and mumbled a quietly pensive "Hmm…_check_…"

"Yes, but it happens the first time you look in her eyes," Old Quil argued, "and therefore, it is like love at first sight."

"Fine, it's a little bit like love at first sight," Billy acknowledged. "And once a wolf imprints, he will feel an irrepressible compulsion to be whatever the imprintee requires, whether it be a protector, a lover, or a friend."

_O-kay…so far this wasn't sounding bad at all._

Embry hmm'd again, furrowing his brows and murmuring softly, "check…_check_…"

Old Quil continued, "There will be such a deep feeling of love and commitment that connects the imprinted, as it is a truly unbreakable bond blessed by our Spirit Gods."

Sounded pretty nice…_sweet_ really. Almost…kinda sorta… _like a fairy tale?_ I wondered why Leah seemed to dislike being an imprint so much. It sounded so ideal…so romantic. Why was Paul so worried I wouldn't take this news well?

Billy nodded his head in concurrence. "Yes, yes, it is said the imprinted couple will feel true love more deeply and in a more satisfying manner than any non-imprinted couple may ever hope to experience even for a mere moment no matter how deep their affection."

"Bah!" Really Old Quil suddenly burst out. "Fucking _cow poopie!_"

Embry covered his mouth with both hands. Leah leaned over, muttering behind her hand, "I'm so glad he said something because I was seriously about to throw my shoe at Billy's head."

"Dad!" Old Quil scolded. "You'll have your turn to share when we're through explaining the basics."

"Your basics all wrong!" Really Old Quil quipped.

"Yeah, let's talk about the pain of the damn rubber band thing connecting you and the irritating side effects of being apart from your imprint, or when you try to deny the bond?" Leah rambled in irritation. "Let's discuss the fucking imprint migraines, shall we? 'Cause that shit's no joke and I haven't found a pill yet in Sandra Cameron's bathroom pharmacy that'll relieve those."

Old Quil and Billy appeared to be genuinely shocked and perplexed. "These are not things which are mentioned in any of our legends or scriptures," Billy shrugged awkwardly.

"Well, great!" Leah threw her hands up. "This is a total waste of my afternoon then." She rose from the sofa as if intending to leave.

"Wait!" Billy beseeched. "What are your questions, Leah? Maybe Old Old Quil will know."

Leah sat back down with a weary sigh. "I wanted to know," she stated, completely impassively, "if Sam gets his ass killed by a vamp, do I then have to endure constant migraines and ongoing chest pain for the rest of my life?"

Old Quil and Billy both seemed horrified that she would even ask such a question, much less as casually as she had. Really Old Quil was cackling again to himself. Embry remained quietly pensive, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.

"Well," Billy stated knowingly, "the legends seem to indicate an imprint would not want to live without its mate and would most likely choose death over life without their partner in imprinted bliss."

"Doh! Clearly, anyone would choose death over living with an imprint migraine for the rest of their life! Damnit, that was so not the answer I was hoping for." She turned to me. "I'm really not exaggerating, Kim. Those migraines will make you wish for death."

Embry held his finger up as if in class asking permission to speak. When he did, he directed his question to Leah, rather than the elders. "So…so…this rubber band thing…might it also feel like an imaginary bungee cord that's wrapped around your heart with the other end tied to the imprint? And like…there's this constant pull that really starts to hurt when you haven't seen them in more than say…eight hours… or when you venture too far away on patrol?"

Leah shrugged, frowning. "Um…sure. Bungee cord…rubber band, same difference. And yeah…it's exactly that kind of feeling."

"And…and…might an imprinted wolf…" he spoke to everyone this time, still holding his finger up, "perhaps get the compulsion to say…run and check on their imprint in the middle of the night? You know…nothing _stalkerish_…just maybe… just to check her vitals, be reassured she hadn't kicked the covers off, or fallen out of bed in her sleep and injured herself or accidentally suffocated herself with a pillow?"

Billy and Old Quil exchanged glances, their eyes widening at Embry like he was a freak. Old Quil nodded slowly after a beat. "Uh…yeah…I think that could probably happen."

Embry nodded and released a whoosh of air before continuing. He seemed to be growing more and more anxious and yet relieved at the same time. "Okay…okay…and then…might you also feel this weird sense that you _totally_ know what they need, even better than they might sometimes…as arrogant and obnoxious as that sounds?"

Billy nodded. "Yes, you would be completely in tune with your imprint's needs and desires."

"Totally!" Leah chimed in. "Sometimes it's like creepy specific shit too. I swear I knew Sam's left nut sack was uncomfortably squeezed in the jeans he was wearing this morning. And I was like, baby, change your damn jeans already! Your balls are going to go on strike after about an hour in those pants."

Billy rolled his eyes and Old Quil shifted uncomfortably as I tried to maintain my composure and not giggle. Embry just nodded, absorbing Leah's input with total seriousness. Old Old Quil gave Leah a thumbs up, commenting, "You good imprint."

Embry ran a nervous, shaky hand through his hair. "So…it's _possible_ you'd know…er…have this sixth sense of…oh…I don't know…random inane stuff about your imprint like maybe…" he shrugged sheepishly, wringing his hands, "from which angle they'd want their clitoris stroked?" Old Quil's jaw dropped open and Billy blushed. Embry continued to stare down at his hands. "And maybe that they'd probably…most likely…for sure want you to tie them up? Which might appeal to you too because then you wouldn't have to worry about them thrashing around and hurting themselves during sex…and of course, you'd wonder if you were just projecting your desires or if in fact you were truly tuned in to theirs?"

He looked up anxiously as all eyes but Really Old Quil's were trained on him in either horror, disbelief or confusion. The room fell silent.

Really Old Quil suddenly clapped his hands together and cackled. "Sound like mother-fucking imprinting!"

"_Yesss!_" Embry jumped up off the couch and fist pumped the air. He was halfway out the front door when he turned back to me and Leah suddenly. "Oh, shit! Leah? You'll watch out for Kim, right? I mean…'cause I told Paul I wouldn't leave her alone but…you got it, right?" He brought his palms together in prayer position in front of his chest. "Please?" Leah nodded slowly, looking rather concerned for Embry. "Awesome! 'Cause there's something I just gotta absolutely take care of _**right fucking now**_," he enunciated excitedly. And with that he was gone like a streak of lightning out the door.

Really Old Quil cackled again and slapped his knee.

Leah shook her head. "Can we back track to the imprint migraine curse, please?"

Old Quil pulled at the back of his neck. He and Billy looked a little rattled. "Well…it seems this imprint migraine is… something new, Leah. We'd have to go back to the scriptures and research further."

"Pig-headed foolishness bring migraine," Really Old Quil announced.

Leah's eyebrow shot up. "Excuse me?"

"Imprinting only happen for stupid, stubborn wolves or when imprintee romantically challenged. Happen to losers who can't see in front own face."

"Say _what?_" Leah shrieked.

Really Old Quil frowned, looking contemplative. "Imprinting like…" he tapped his fingers to his chin, seemingly searching for the right words to explain, "…like short bus for special wolves."

**A/N – More to come on imprinting in Chapter 19, **_**Curse of the Imprint Migraine**_**. **

**That metrication conversation may have seemed superfluous, but you never know...someone's knowledge of smidgen conversion could save lives in a future chapter.**

**Thanks so much for reading and for all your thoughtful reviews! I swear I've come to have the funniest reviewers ever. Your reviews provide such wonderful comic relief for me throughout the week at work as they trickle in. ;) Have an excellent week! **

**Oh, and xstrawxberryx, I wanted to answer the questions posed in your last review but your pm was restricted. Please enable and I will respond. Thanks! :)**

**(Oh, and no, I'm **_**not**_** Aunt Susie…even though I am indeed crazy.)**


	19. Ch 19 Curse of the Imprint Migraine Pt 1

**A/N – Sorry, had to split this beast up in order to post something, otherwise it was gonna end up a 17k word chapter posted next week. So it's looking like I'll either be editing all of my lemons this story or taking WW down entirely from FF…not certain which yet, but I'll definitely make an announcement. I'm going to first try substituting the word "peesh" in place of all vagina references and "tralala" for all penis references and see if that edit alone won't suffice to bring it to an acceptable M rating.**

**I spent the week reposting it to the Jacob Black N Pack website, where I had such an overwhelmingly positive, welcoming experience it bordered on the absurd at times, thanks ENTIRELY to the lovely, incomparable **Mrstrentreznor**, who was kind enough to pimp my ass out over there. (MTR pimping you is essentially like a Moses parting of the Red Sea event in the Twilight Fanfiction world, btw.) The whole incident actually inspired a little blog entitled, "Church ladies, the Messiah, Moses, & the Red Sea of MTR Paul crack addicts - my JBNP FanFiction religious experience."**

**So if you've never been to the JBNP website, you should really check it out. Everyone is so crazy nice and supportive over on that site I swear we'd finally achieve world peace if we could just get those JBNP Alphas to run the United Nations. Not to mention, MTR posts all her really **_**REALLY**_** good stuff over there (**_**you know, the MA versions that'd crash your computer if viewed on FF).**_

_**HUGE**_** thanks to another one of my favorite writers, **notashamedtobe** ("the Messiah"), for all her moral support, handholding and unfailingly outrageous sense of humor this week! She also posts her stuff that'll make you ruin your panties over on JBNP and her story, **New Phase of the Moon**, which is posted there is actually the reason I initially joined. Her new Paul & Bella fic, **You're My Home**, also posted here on FF, is SO not to be missed! (**_**I irritate her constantly asking for updates.**_**)**

**Hugs & kisses to the very talented KS_Angel, my new BFF over at JBNP, who has made me well over a dozen mind-blowing story and chapter banners that are so clever, humorous and sexy, I can't stop looking at them and giggling throughout the day. I'll post a link to them here on FF as soon as my tech-savvy 4-year-old has some free time to show me how. **

**Lastly, a tremendous thank you to all of my fabulous readers for your kind reviews and support! This week was a little crazy so I apologize if I haven't responded to you yet. **

"Dad!" Old Quil shouted. "That's enough! There's absolutely nothing written in the legends to support your theories."

"Not theory." He tapped his temple with his wrinkled forefinger. "Have visions. New generation see _many_ riding short bus."

Billy looked a bit puzzled as he glanced back and forth from Old Quil to Really Old Quil.

"What?" Leah blustered. "Just what do you mean by that?"

Old Quil jumped in before Really Old Quil could answer. His face was flushed and he looked nervous. "Well, see…Dad has this _theory_," he emphasized, wringing his knotted hands, "that all creatures actually imprint… _or_ something akin to it, more or less. Specifically, he believes we all have a higher self…one which many of us may not always be consciously aware of, however. And that this higher self will always recognize our soul's true counterpart in physical form, even if our conscious self is unwilling to do so. So based on his _theory,"_ he stressed the word again, "every one of us has the potential to feel what is known as the imprint pull or bond described in the legends." He cleared his throat. "However, for our shape-shifters, having direct access to their wolf nature makes their instincts with regard to identifying a mate far stronger than the normal human, and therefore, the attraction to one's true mate felt so deeply it's virtually impossible to ignore or to resist for long. And as their wolves are also driven by deeply rooted survival instincts, this in turn makes them more inclined than a regular human to quickly ascertain that pursuing their soul's true desire makes more sense than trying to resist it."

Really Old Quil nodded and quipped, "Only total boob who think too much ignore higher instinct. Imprinting like kick to head from higher self."

"Dad!" Old Quil rolled his eyes. "Will you just…please let me try and explain it?" He looked helplessly at me and Leah. "Look, it's just his theory. There's nothing written in the legends to support it. He just feels that by virtue of being a shape-shifter and a shape-shifter's mate, you're already connected more deeply with the spirit realm, even if you don't realize it, and therefore, if you try to resist what you know to be your heart and soul's true desire or destiny, your higher self steps in and forces your hand by way of the imprint bond. Or if an imprintee is so out of touch…" he cringed at what must have been a death glare from Leah, "er…_resistant…_ to admitting their own higher self's feelings and desires for the shape-shifter, this can also cause the shape-shifter to imprint, again to reinforce the bond and tether the imprintee since it would require greater effort and pursuit on the part of the shape-shifter when an imprintee is so…er…_obstinate_." He looked apologetically at Leah.

"But I never wanted this, subconsciously or not! I don't want to be with Sam!" Leah angrily protested. "I never wanted to steal my own cousin's fiancé!" her voice cracked and she lifted a hand to swipe at her eyes.

I felt so badly for her situation. I couldn't imagine how horrible and guilty I'd feel stealing the love of Alison's life from her. _I mean, not that any guy would ever choose me over Alison anyway, she was so funny and cool and drop dead gorgeous. But still…poor Leah._

"And I seriously can't imagine my higher self wanting to destroy my own blood relative like that either," Leah insisted crossly as she sniffled a little.

Realy Old Quil cackled. "Yet you like crazy sex with black wolf," he pointed out flatly. He shook his head, snorting in amusement and waving his hands in front of him in an odd "jazz fingers" gesture. "This one make c_raaazy_ wolf mating," he added, much to everyone's horror…particularly Leah's.

Leah's mouth gaped open. Old Quil groaned and massaged his temples with his fingers, not even bothering to scold his father this time.

Dear lord, Embry was right! Really Old Quil was kinda creepy. _How did he know these things? Would he know about my sex life too? _ _Did he somehow have access to the wolves' shared mind link thingy?_ I felt my face flush as I wondered if he knew I got off on being bit in the neck…or that I got Paul off by shouting I was his imprint as he rammed me from behind.

"We know you never meant to intentionally steal Sam from your cousin, Leah," Billy was quick to reassure her, thankfully distracting me from my inner thoughts which were sure to cause a mini panic attack if unchecked. Billy also looked completely flushed with embarrassment. "This is just Old Old Quil's theory," he reiterated. "It's not supported in any way by our legends. The legends say the imprint pairing is chosen by the spirit warriors and it's implied the union is thus blessed in order to ensure the strongest propagation of future generations of shape-shifters. In plainest terms, you were chosen as Sam's mate by our spirit gods because you and he have the highest potential for creating the strongest, healthiest future wolf pups together," he announced with a bright smile… _as if somehow he'd just paid her a great compliment with that statement? _

Oh, my god…so I was a prize cow now? Just a breeder dog? _**Imprint actually meant best breeding bitch?**_

"I know all about the stupid breeding theories," Leah clipped out, adding sarcastically, "and now I can't decide which theory is less insulting, being deemed an ideal puppy maker or simply an out of touch with my higher self idiot jackass. I might have to go with idiot jackass," she muttered bitterly.

"Well, the other theory implied in the legends is the wolf imprints on the one chosen by the spirit gods because she possesses the qualities which will complement and complete the shape-shifter's, adding to his strength and making him a better protector as a result of their union," Old Quil offered, trying to be helpful.

"Really?" Leah scoffed bitterly. "Well, I have a feeling Sam would argue against that theory. I'm pretty certain we've only succeeded in bringing out one another's _worst_ qualities and making each other's lives a living hell ever since this whole voodoo shit went down."

"Yet you break much good furniture in big mating frenzy hours ago," Really Old Quil reminded her. Leah's hands clenched into tight fists and I could have sworn I heard her growl at Really Old Quil. For a moment I was sure Really Old Quil was about to get his ex-shape-shifting, tribe protecting, spirit channeling ass kicked. _I quietly wondered if she was packing any explosive muffins. _

But instead she screamed at him, "I'm **OVULATING**, you super old asshole!"

Old Quil cringed and Billy sputtered stupidly while Really Old Quil fell into a fit of wheezing, coughing cackles, practically choking on his own laughter.

More distressing thoughts occurred to me as I recounted the events of the last several days and the pieces started clicking together in my mind. Unfortunately, I chose to ponder them out loud in my shock and confusion, rather than to myself. "So Jared… never noticed me…never wanted me…until his wolf decided I'd birth a good litter for him?" I asked dazedly.

"Well, not exactly…" Billy began.

"And Paul," I rambled on, interrupting Billy, "noticed me but never asked me out until his wolf decided he wanted to breed with me?"

Paul was a teenage boy and a renowned player for as long as I could remember. So even if he was telling the truth and he really had noticed me all along and desired me…as Maggie also seemed to think, the only reason he wouldn't have ask me out before was because he hadn't finished playing the field, right? I was the quiet, 'nice girl' not exactly known for putting out…_at least not until recently_. And he was too busy sowing his wild oats to bother with any sort of relationship, as he'd admitted I was his first girlfriend ever. He'd simply been going about 'wetting his dick' as Alec had so crudely put it. His hand had practically been locked onto Gabby's crotch right in front of me in the hallway for chrissakes not three days ago! Why stop all the fun now unless you had a snarling beast inside of you suddenly demanding you mate with the chosen breeder in the camp in order to ensure the survival of our supernatural tribal species? For goodness sakes, Paul kept telling me how much his wolf wanted to 'mark me' and 'mate' with me. He was even distressed over how his wolf's desires were becoming so strong, they eclipsed his own. Shit, it all made sense now! _And holy hell, it was all kinds of fucked up!_

Poor Maggie had tried to warn me from the beginning. She was a good friend…_my best friend_. And I'd sold her out. Lied to her and chosen sides with the wolves! Why hadn't I listened to her? My own stupid ego had gotten in the way. I should have trusted her! She knew about the wolves. She kept trying to get me to see how strange it was that Paul and Jared were both aggressively pursuing me all of the sudden. _And why me?_ I wasn't one of the more beautiful girls on the reservation, not even close. I knew that. I wasn't even that interesting or funny. I was dimwitted and gullible, much to Paul and Embry's ongoing amusement. I got nervous and awkward and embarrassed myself constantly. I threw up on Jared for crying out loud! What guy still wanted a girl right after she pukes on him? And yet Jared had held me, kissed me and ground his erection into me almost immediately following my puking episode. _Ugh! _

None of this was even about them liking me…it was about my uterine potential!

A sick panic gripped me and I suddenly felt hot all over. I was the world's biggest moron for letting myself believe I could ever belong with Paul…that he could actually want me for me. No wonder he was so irritated with me yesterday. I was creating problems and complications for him. I was a hassle, a mating imperative inconveniently thrust upon him that he was forced to contend with. He just wanted to get it over with so his wolf could calm down and stop driving him crazy already. Breeders weren't supposed to be traipsing about making out with other wolves, nearly getting their heads ripped off by new wolf pups. They were just supposed to get knocked up and go nest somewhere.

Maggie had literally been trying to tell me to run…to escape to California while I still could…to save myself from an existence as simply a big puppy maker. I wondered if it was like with cow breeding where once impregnated, the bull went off and copulated with other cows in the field, no longer interested in the cow he'd already knocked up? Was that my future as Paul's imprint? _Or as Jared's? _

"I don't think I want to be an imprint," I mused aloud in a small voice.

Leah turned and looked at me. Her eyes filled with unshed tears as she seemed to take in my obvious distress. "I'm so sorry, Kim," she whispered, taking my hand in hers on the couch.

"Girls! Girls! You're taking this all wrong," Billy grumbled in agitation, throwing his hands up in defeat and throwing an exasperated look at Old Quil. "What the devil is wrong with this generation? These days young girls just don't understand what romance is anymore," he complained. "Imprinting is the most beautiful thing that could ever happen to you. It's a gift from our gods, our ancestors and most revered spirit warriors. You two are fortunate and blessed above all young Quileute girls to be chosen to bear the future protectors of our tribe! This is a great honor which has been bestowed upon you both," he insisted crossly.

"Really?" Leah challenged. "I'm supposed to be ecstatic I was chosen to be one of this generation's blessed birthing bitches?"

_Lord was I glad Leah never missed a fucking beat because she'd taken the words right out of my mouth when I was too paralyzed by panic and disappointment to speak. _

"And if I don't comply and play house with Sam like the spirit gods insist I'll get punishing migraines and chest pains for the rest of my damn life?" she continued. "And I'm supposed to be _psyched_ my offspring will bear the curse of being a shape-shifter as well, forever tied to this reservation and to a life of tribal servitude which will likely result in them being killed by a bloodsucking vampire one day? Oh, and let's not forget the best part…if Sam dies, I'll want to die too I'll be so miserable without him? Gee, where the fuck do I sign up for this storybook romance, Billy?"

"So we don't even get a choice in any of this?" I suddenly heard myself bleat aloud in such a miserable, pathetic wail I was mortified at my own cowardice. I rubbed absently at my temple. I could feel a headache coming on. It was all too much to process at once.

"Jesus, it's a _divine gift_, god damnit!" Billy blustered, shifting in his wheelchair and glaring at me. "Christ almighty, this is ludicrous the way you two are reacting."

Old Quil had the grace to look somewhat sympathetic. "Imprinting, just like shape-shifting, is destined and pre-determined by our great spirit warriors, so no, it is not believed to be something which you have a choice in. But…" he perked up, forcing a smile on his lips in some twisted last ditch effort to really sell it to us, "believe me, it _really_ is such a wondrous, magical occurrence and honor most would never wish to avoid it."

"Wondrous my wrinkled hiney!" Really Old Quil finally erupted. "Shape-shifting big fucking hassle for shitty ass pay." He jerked his milky, half-blind glaucoma/cataract eyes in Leah's and my direction. _Oh, wow, Embry was so right again…those eyes were super scary. _ "Whenever anyone claim honor involved, expect compensation scale be shit," he announced, earning a snort of amusement from Leah. I felt my own lips wanting to twitch into a smile. And then Really Old Quil said something that made me want to run over and hug his crazy wrinkled ass.

"Wolves and imprints always have choice," he affirmed, "**Always**…both in phasing and mating." And then he winked at me.

_Was he trying to say something with that? Or was it just a random eye twitch?_

"Dad, phasing is not voluntary!" Old Quil protested. "At least not initially. You can't possibly make such a claim based on more of your theories."

"**IS** voluntary!" Really Old Quil practically shouted. "Many Quileute boys carry wolf gene yet few phase. Only by choice. Higher self must choose phasing path like higher self choose mate."

Leah nodded slowly, studying Really Old Quil with interest. "So why did you choose it then?"

He shrugged and scrunched his nose up. "Eh…higher self always been stupid do-gooder type."

"So you're trying to tell me that my higher self and Sam's higher self both agreed to this crazy lifestyle without our consciously knowing it?" Leah questioned.

Really Old Quil chuckled lightly then sighed wearily. "You know it. You always know it. Some things just harder to admit to own selves," he raised his brows and pursed his lips, "like secret crush on cousin's long time boyfriend?"

Leah leapt to her feet. "I **never**! Ugh, that is it!" she shrieked, grabbing my hand and her bag.

"Leah, Leah...please," Old Quil beseeched, rising from his seat as well, "please don't leave. These are just dad's theories!" he stressed yet again. "No one here is trying to insult you. For Kim's sake, let's just finish explaining the imprinting?" he appealed. "We haven't even gotten into the double imprint discussion."

She grumbled something under her breath and sank back down onto the couch, shooting daggers at Really Old Quil, who had been busy laughing his head off at her reaction.

"Dad, the situation here is unique," Old Quil explained, bringing everyone back to the topic at hand, "in that both Paul Lahote and Jared Cameron seem to think they've imprinted on Ms. Kim Callaway here."

Really Old Quil jerked his head back in my direction then cocked it to the side_. _"Hmm…you new kinky generation imprint?"

I think I squawked in horror as my face flushed beet red and I was rendered utterly speechless.

Thankfully, as always Leah never seemed to be at a loss for words. She groaned in annoyance and said, "No, no, Old Old Quil, Kim's a _very nice girl. _She's not into any alternative sexual lifestyles and she intends to be with just one of them, _not both_."

Really Old Quil frowned. "Huh… that too bad. I like idea kinky imprint."

"Dad!" Old Quil reprimanded.

"But you still mate with both wolves?" Old Old Quil persisted, ignoring his son's embarrassed plea.

"No!" I squeaked, flushing an even brighter shade of red.

Old Old Quil must've noticed because he started cackling at my reaction. "_Really?_" he challenged. "You carry strong smell wolf on you."

Yet again, I was rendered speechless and was thankful for Leah's presence.

"She's was just at my house and she spent the night at Paul's so I'm sure she's just picked up a lot of wolf…_odor_. I mean, the pack hangs out at Sam's house all the time so I'm sure our home carries a very strong smell of wolf."

Really Old Quil turned his milky-eyed stare on Leah. "Yet you not smell of wolf as she does."

Oh, my god! He totally didn't believe me. _He thought I was some kind of slutty imprint being shared by multiple wolves! Could this meeting get any worse?_

"She's only slept with Paul!" Leah's asserted. "_Right?_" she leaned closer and asked out of the side of her mouth.

"Right," I answered breathily, still blushing furiously like the guilty harlot I felt like I was suddenly on trial for being. I could feel my head starting to throb now.

Really Old Quil was looking at me strangely. _He didn't seem convinced!_

"You know, Paul's a very dominant wolf and he's recently had a new growth spurt and become a lot bigger and stronger," Leah began, "couldn't this new change in Paul have affected Kim's scent as his imprint?"

"No," Really Old Quil barked succinctly, shaking his head. "She not Lahote imprint!" he stated with confidence.

I think I felt my heart drop to the floor. A moment ago I was horrified at the notion of simply being Paul's chosen baby maker. And now, strangely, I felt completely bereft at the loss of being just that. _If I wasn't even meant to be that…then was I meant to be anything to him at all? _

"_What?_ How would you know that?" Leah challenged. "You have no way of knowing for sure if Paul imprinted on her or not!" she insisted. Then she turned to Billy and Old Quil and asked, "Would he?"

Billy and Old Quil looked at one another and shrugged. _They really were mostly useless. _

Really Old Quil tapped the side of his temple. "I see big grey wolf in visions. Grey wolf not ride short bus." He shook his head. "Lahote not imprint this one." He spoke with a finality that completely shattered my entire fragile new world that was centered on some small hope of belonging with Paul, totally obliterating any new fledgling faith and confidence I had begun to feel.

"Oh, god," I murmured, as another realization hit me. "So…so…I…I'm Jared's imprint then?"

Old Old Quil stared off into nothingness again. It went on for about thirty seconds but it felt like an eternity as Leah put her arm around me and squeezed my hand in hers. I wasn't sure what I wanted him to say. I was still in shock over not being Paul's imprint. Maybe I was meant to be with Jared after all? I'd been pining over him for most of my life. _Maybe my higher self had always known? _ Everyone had always thought me crazy but what if I had somehow always been right and I actually did belong with Jared?

Suddenly Really Old Quil started cackling to himself within his trance-like stare. The cackling became wheezing and he doubled over in his chair shaking with mirth at some private joke none of us were privy to. Billy rolled his eyes and Old Quil buried his head in his hands seemingly in embarrassment for his father's strange soothsayer antics.

"_**Nope**__!_" Old Old Quil suddenly announced, popping the 'p', and looking strangely amused and delighted as he sat back upright. He looked toward me and shook his head. "Kim is wrong one. She no one's imprint."

I couldn't decide if it was mostly relief or devastation I felt at learning I wasn't Jared's imprint either, as I seemed to be experiencing both. _This meant I was free! _ I could leave the reservation; leave this entire insanity behind me without having to worry about horrible migraines or chest pains. I wasn't a part of this madness. This is what I should want. Yet somehow the news I was off the hook was so painful…as if I'd just been summarily…_dismissed_. _Labeled the wrong imprint, no less. _ And if there was a 'wrong one', that meant somewhere out there was a 'right' imprint for both Paul and Jared…_she just wasn't me_. And that was the part, I think, which completely crushed my heart.

_I belonged to no one. _I was _wrong_...unwanted…_not_ _even as a birthing bitch. _

I felt Leah's eyes on me as my own began to mist over. I can only imagine what my expression was in that moment. "How can you be sure?" Leah groused at Really Old Quil. "You can't know everything! You've said yourself we all have free will and choice in this. I'm certain Paul chooses her. And Jared seems to be completely smitten with her too. You can't just say with all certainty that she's neither of their imprints can you? Those two have been acting crazy fighting over her all week!"

He shrugged. "Maybe they choose her. Everyone have free will to have kinky three-way. But Lahote and Cameron not imprint this one."

"Dad, that's enough!" Old Quil reproved. "If Kim's not an imprint then she should cease any relationship she has with both…_er_…_either_ of them now…before she winds up getting hurt or having her heart broken one day when they do imprint."

Really Old Quil frowned and waved a dismissive his hand at his son. "Bah! Everybody take imprint so serious nowadays."

"This is fucking bullshit!" Leah suddenly exploded. "Kim is still part of this pack! She's _**my**__ pack sister!_ Embry, Paul, Sam, Jared and I all feel a connection to Kim. And as much as I'd be sad for myself to lose her as a fellow imprintee, I'd be happy for her sake if she's not one. But you can't just claim for certain there's no mystical tie between her and Paul. I've seen it! Sam has seen it in Paul's head. They have this crazy smell thing between them. And you wouldn't believe how she is around his wolf. You just can't claim they're not bonded because you stared off into space for a few moments and channeled your dead cronies or some shit!"

"Leah, that's enough!" Billy scolded.

"And you two!" she glared at Billy and Old Quill, "You dismiss Old Old Quil's theories about freewill and choice so easily and yet you readily take his word as it pertains to Kim and the imprint bond without question. Without even asking how Kim feels? Without asking Jared and Paul how they feel or how Sam and Embry feel towards her! And you just _assume_ they'll both imprint on some other girl at some point in the future and for that reason you want to make Kim stop her relationship with them _now_? When you don't know if they'll _ever_ even imprint at all? According to your precious legends, imprinting is supposedly rare."

"Lahote not imprint this one," Really Old Quil assured quietly again. "Tell me," he tilted his head at me and shocked me by asking, "you love big grey wolf?"

I froze as all eyes in the room became fixated on me. I swallowed. I could feel myself sweating. My palm was uncomfortably moist in Leah's hand as she squeezed it encouragingly. I didn't know what to say. _What did it matter? _ I'd already been deemed the wrong imprint. I wasn't his true mate. I was never meant to be anything to him. _I was no one special. I would never be the girl a guy like Paul would want to make his own. _The sooner I extricated myself from this whole nightmare the better. I would move on. _I would leave_. I could call Aunt Susie tonight…I would make plans right away. I knew the Young's would take me in. My mind was racing at a mile a minute down to the details of what items I'd pack in my suitcases. I'd just take two. I didn't need that much.

Leah squeezed my hand again. "Kim?" she prompted softly. "You told Paul's wolf you loved him, didn't you?" She nodded her head encouragingly.

"I…don't know…" I mumbled awkwardly, rubbing my head again. "I was confused…after Quil…" I felt a searing pain in my abdomen as the words fell from my lips. They tasted wrong. They smelled like a betrayal. I couldn't say anymore, so I just shook my head in denial.

The room had gone completely silent. Leah bit her lip. She looked torn. Old Quil and Billy still looked confused. Really Old Quil's nostrils flared and he sniffed deeply, then he smirked.

Just when I thought I might pass out I'd grown so hot and uncomfortable, Paul burst right through Billy's front door without even knocking.

"What happened?" he demanded of the room as a few quick strides brought him over to me. "What the hell did you say to her?" He bent down onto the floor directly in front of me so we were eye level, but I wouldn't look at him. Leah relinquished my hand as Paul enveloped both of my clammy palms in his dry ones. "Kim?" his voice shook a little. Just the sound of it made me sad. It was filled with so much concern…and _fear_. "What did they tell you about imprinting?"

"No one imprint on this one. She wrong one," Really Old Quil didn't hesitate to announce without a trace of remorse.

"**What?**" Paul whipped his head back around to Really Old Quil, who simply shrugged then nodded judiciously.

"Old Old Quil claims neither you nor Jared imprinted on her," Leah supplied eagerly. "And Billy told her imprinting was for breeding better dogs. Then Old Quil said she couldn't see you anymore because you were going to imprint on some other girl and break her heart." I couldn't help but notice she'd imparted this information in such a way as to unmistakably tattle on the tribal elders to Paul, no doubt in an effort to incite his anger against them. I felt him release my hands as he turned to face the accused. And in spite of the sense of total devastation which presently consumed me, I sniggered aloud as my patterned distress response kicked in. _I did know for certain I loved Leah._

"_**I**_** imprinted on her!**" Paul stood and bellowed so loudly I felt the walls shake. "Who the hell are you to challenge me?" he thundered at Really Old Quil.

Billy started sputtering nonsensically again and Old Quil blushed. He looked scared. Really Old Quil slapped his knee and started cackling once more. He shook his head in amusement, commenting, "This fun generation crazy kinky angry hairstyling wolves."

"She's _MINE!_" Paul snarled at all three elders. "I don't need any dead ancestor spirit warriors to tell me who I'm supposed to love and I sure as fuck don't need approval from you three."

"Amen, brother!" Leah cheered, clapping her hands gleefully and giving me a big, girly grin.

_Did Paul sorta just say he loved me? In a somewhat round about way? _

Sam rushed through the open front doorway then. "What the hell's going on? Paul, you can't just disrespect our tribal elders like that," he admonished.

Leah's smile abruptly fell and she stood as well. Now I could barely see anything with both Paul and Leah blocking my view.

"He's defending his love for Kim to these old turkeys who think somehow they have a say in who we're supposed to love and make babies with," Leah asserted angrily. "I'm supposed to be your damn imprint and you've never done anything remotely as romantic for me," she complained.

Sam's mouth gaped open. "What the fuck?" he blustered. "I try to defend you all the time to Paul and Jared and you just get mad at me!"

"Ugh! That's totally different, you idiot!"

"You're fucking impossible!" Sam's voice raised to wall shaking decibels as well as he crossed the room to verbally spar with Leah.

Paul and Billy appeared to be arguing now. I couldn't quite make out the conversation over Sam and Leah's shouting but it seemed Paul was yelling something about "litters" and "puppies", throwing "f" bombs right and left.

"Now look, I think everyone just needs to calm down for a moment," Old Quil advised, rising cautiously from his chair.

"Oh, shut up and sit down!" Sam snapped at him this time. _So much for respecting the elders! _

Suddenly it seemed everyone in the room was arguing at once. _Yep, I definitely had a headache now._ I felt a warm hand tap my forearm, causing me to jump and clutch my chest in shock as I turned to find Really Old Quil sitting right next to me on the couch in the spot Leah had vacated. _Jesus Christ! _ How the hell did he sneak over there so fast and stealthily?

He chuckled at my reaction. _Oh, shit! Those milky eyes were super creepy up close. _

"You know, I knew your mother when she was a little girl," he began conversationally. _Oh, my Lord! Leah was right. He'd totally been pulling a Madonna over on all of us as he was apparently completely capable of speaking normally! _

I just sat with my mouth ajar as he continued.

"Esarosa was a beautiful little girl. The whole reservation was enchanted by her from birth I think."

_Great. This was going to be one of those conversations?_ I bit the insides of my cheeks, tamping down a sudden urge to punch Really Old Quil in the milky eye. _He didn't really expect me to say anything in response, did he? _He was just talking out loud to pass the time, right?

"She was so smart too, I recall." He nodded contemplatively. "Always top of her class."

_Really?_ He'd just confirmed my uterus wasn't even good enough to carry Paul or Jared's sacred puppies and now he was going to drone on about all my late mother's great virtues and attributes?

"You look a lot like her, you know?" he imparted. _Now I really wanted to punch him._ I forced a tight, polite smile and shook my head, turning away from his creepy eyes as my ulcer began to rage. _Stupid phony accented oracle!_

"She was such a fragile creature," he stated matter-of-factly. My eyes shot open and I had to suppress a snort at that. _Boy had she fooled everyone! God help me these were always my least favorite conversations. _

The fact that my mother had managed to dupe the supposedly all knowing soothsayer for our tribe did cast a huge shadow of doubt on his ability to foretell for shit, though… which made me feel somewhat better about our earlier imprint conversation.

"Everyone expected so much from her in life," he continued. "And so did she. But no one knew how it burdened her. She had great pride and she never showed how fragile she was on the surface."

I pinched the bridge of my nose and focused on breathing. _Was he gonna make a fucking point here? _

"She was named after a wolf and yet her emotional and mental make-up was more like that of a lamb," he sympathized.

I cleared my throat and rubbed my head again as my stomach churned. _I was pretty sure I was on the verge of throwing up in my mouth now if we kept along this line of conversation_.

"She and your uncle Todd were raised on our legends. I remember those two running around at the bonfires." He smiled to himself. "The little wolf and the fox."

_What was he even talking about? Oh, right…Todd meant fox. _I rolled my eyes, unable to help myself. _Gee, my grandparents were so clever._

"Funny your mother never wanted you to learn our legends," Really Old Quil commented cryptically.

_Not as funny as it's gonna be when I stab you in the milky eye. _

"You're the opposite of your mother, you know?"

I turned and had to forcibly restrain myself from glaring at him. _Where the hell was Paul when I needed him to rescue me?_ I checked and saw that Paul was busy arguing with both Billy and Old Quil now.

"Everyone's so angry today," Really Old Quil stated the obvious. "_Aren't you angry_?" he leaned in and asked. I frowned slightly at the stupidity of his question and then quickly shook my head in response. And just when I was sure our conversation couldn't get any more irritating or bizarre, Really Old Quil quoted something I vaguely recognized had to be Latin, although I didn't know its meaning.

"Pelle sub agnina latitat mens saepe lupine," he intoned. I turned my head away and rolled my eyes again so he wouldn't see…_just in case he was faking the half-blind shtick too_.

_Seriously?_ Was he expecting me to be impressed? _Did he think I knew Latin? _

"You know what Kimberly means, right?"

I didn't answer, hoping if I ignored him maybe then he'd stop talking in stupid riddles and complimenting my mother to me.

"It means royal fortress." He reached his gnarled hand out and touched his forefinger to my temple. "And you've certainly created a veritable stronghold, Kim."

_What the hell?_

"So much you've locked away and hidden from the world," he continued, "So many secrets and treasures you've kept to yourself."

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. _Maybe I should just excuse myself to the bathroom?_

"Sometimes when we bury our hurt, our greatest anger and pain, through its suppression we only succeed in making it impossibly stronger. Sometimes so much so that it almost becomes a separate entity of its own creation…separate even from the whole of the individual. And if not careful, it can at times grow stronger than the whole…_singular and unstoppable in its purpose_; making it ultimately powerful, but a potential danger as well."

_What the deuce?_ He gestured towards Leah, who was jabbing her pointer finger into Sam's heaving chest. Sam looked about ready to strangle her.

"Everyone always thinks Leah's so angry because she'll yell and scream and speak her mind," Really Old Quil pointed out. "But Leah's simply passionate; this is how she expresses her feelings. She's actually far less angry than most."

"Much like Paul," he indicated, nodding his head in Paul's direction where he was still in the midst of a heated discussion with Billy and Old Quil. "His dad came to me for advice when Paul was little. Kyle was worried his son was getting into too many fights at school and acting out in anger. I remember telling Kyle that I never worry about the kids who behave like Paul. Paul had reason to be angry," he shrugged, "and he let himself get angry. It was a healthy and appropriate response. I told Kyle, it's the kids I see who never get mad, the quiet ones who never misbehave, who smile even when you can tell they're miserable…_those are the ones I worry about_."

He turned his scary David Lo Pan eyes back to me. "Because those are the ones, when they finally let their anger out," he shook his head, "they won't just yell or throw a punch. They'll tear a whole forest down."

My eyes locked with his milky ones. I was pretty sure in that moment the old bastard really could see better than he let on.

"Kim?" I tore my gaze from Really Old Quil and looked up to see Paul's handsome face, taut with concern, staring down at me.

"I hear today Sue Clearwater make great cherry cobbler," Really Old Quil stated overly brightly to Paul, reverting back to his weird, broken English again.

Paul frowned down at Really Old Quil as he held his hand out to me. "C'mon, Kim, we're outta here."

I wasn't sure if I could move. My head was spinning. I was still trying to process…_everything_.

"You really must try cobbler," Really Old Quil encouraged, smiling at me. He chuckled and patted me on the knee, advising, "Visit with Sue Clearwater just what wrong one need."

My eyes widened in shock at his unparalleled rudeness in calling me '_wrong one'_…_and right in front of Paul! _ _Talk about rubbing salt in the wound. _

Paul growled and before I could blink he'd scooped me up in his arms and was carrying me out the door. I could still faintly hear Really Old Quil's unmistakable cackle in the background as we crossed Billy's front lawn.

**A/N – Okay, now, let's not panic, ladies! I'm adding this note since I've been getting some very distressed emails about Paul not imprinting on Kim. Yes, Really Old Quil ("ROQ") is right, Paul did NOT imprint on Kim. This is actually a good thing, because it means Paul's not riding the "short wolf bus". Paul always wanted Kim, therefore he didn't need a "kick in the head from his higher self". But something _did_ cause Paul to be even more attracted and drawn to Kim when she came back from summer break. Something _IS_ different about Kim which has drawn both Paul and Jared's interest. ROQ gives a lot away in his private conversation with Kim. And he never actually says Kim is the wrong _imprint_ or wrong _one for Paul_. He just calls her the "Wrong One"... **

**As always thank you for reading and reviewing! ** **Have a wonderful week and great holiday for those of you celebrating Thanksgiving. **


	20. Ch 20 Curse of the Imprint Migraine Pt 2

**A/N – I know, it's been a long time between updates! Sorry, too much RL drama. I did manage to post two separate outtakes in between, one a Leah/Sam and the other an Embry/Bella. See profile page. **

**Beware lemon this chapter, please! Thank you for reading and for all of your awesome reviews and emails! :)**

**xstrawxberryx, I **_**still **_**can't answer your review questions if you don't enable your pm! ;)**

****And please visit http:/photobucket(dot)com/WrongWolf if you'd like to see some gorgeous, sexy, amazing banners done by my dear friend and artist extraordinaire, the fabulous KS_Angel over at JBNP, aka WestcoastAngel here on FanFiction. Password is "wrongwolf" if prompted.****

**Note: The story banner just might give a few things away.**

"Paul, wait up!" I heard Leah calling after us as Paul's sure strides took us onward past neighboring homes. I vaguely noted we were headed in the direction of Paul's house. I was clinging to his neck, my legs gripped tightly about his waist, my face buried in the crook of his neck and shoulder. He carried me as easily as a toddler, one supporting forearm beneath my bottom, the other pressed diagonally across my back as his hand tangled in my hair. He was mumbling too quietly for me to hear, although I managed to make out various swear words, as well as the word "_mine_".

"Come on, Paul?" Leah hollered. I heard her footsteps on the pavement right behind us. "Wait for me!" She sounded winded. I wanted to say something. Wanted to tell Paul to wait for her, but I couldn't speak; couldn't even bear to look up from where my eyes were now swiftly dampening his naked torso.

"S'okay, baby," Paul whispered, his fingers dragging soothingly back and forth against the back of my scalp.

"Paul!" It was Sam's commanding voice which bellowed after us now. "Paul, get back here!"

Paul's stride didn't falter, didn't hesitate at Sam's directive.

Leah snorted with laughter. "Go fuck yourself, Sam!" she called back to him gleefully. "Paul, come on, wait up."

I felt my equilibrium shift as Paul finally spun around to address Leah. "Leah, not now, I need time alone with Kim," he grumbled curtly.

"But I'm on your side," Leah pleaded. "And I'm worried about Kim too."

I felt Paul start to tremble. I could feel his heart beating wildly against my right breast mashed between us. _What was happening? Was he mad at Leah? _He began to growl deep in his chest.

"What's going on?" a deep male voice demanded to my right. _It was Jared!_ I hadn't seen Jared since yesterday when he'd saved my life twice in one afternoon.

"Now's not the best time, Jared," Leah warned.

"Is Kim okay?" Jared persisted. It sounded like he was closer to us now. I didn't lift my head. I held onto Paul even tighter. His shaking was getting worse. "I have a right to see her, Paul!" Jared growled.

"You don't have **any** right to her!" Paul snarled. "She's fucking _**mine**_ and no one is going to tell me any different!"

"I'm her friend and I have a right to check on her well being!" Jared asserted.

"Her fucking friend?" Paul scoffed. "Is that what you want to be to her? Were those '_friend_' thoughts you were guarding so carefully from me earlier today in the forest?"

_Oh, god, this was all too much!_ My head was starting to pound. A dull pain was beginning to throb behind my eyes. "Please stop," I begged, lifting my head from Paul's shoulder, "Please don't get mad right now?" My eyes met Paul's. They were dark with rage. His jaw was set in determination and his nostrils flared with fury. I swallowed anxiously as I saw the depth of his barely contained wrath. "I…I can't take any more today, Paul," I pleaded quietly, embarrassed as I felt the tears rolling down my cheeks for all to see. In my periphery I saw Jared standing anxiously at attention to my right; I saw Quil and Jacob approaching at a jog's pace from behind Paul's shoulder and I noted Leah at my left just in time to see her swat Sam's hand away as he strode up to her. We were surrounded. Surrounded by the pack…_the pack I no longer belonged to as of ten minutes ago_.

Paul's scowl softened. His eyes reflected hurt…almost pain. "I'm not mad at _you_, angel," he whispered sadly. "I didn't mean to make you more upset."

"Then quit being a possessive dick and put her down," Jared barked. "Can't you see she's distraught?"

I felt Paul's shaking increase instantly as a thunderous growl seemed to reverberate up through his entire being.

"Geez, she's not your fucking imprint, Jared!" Leah broke through the increasing tension, huffing dramatically in her annoyance. "Go chase after the little curly haired girl who ripped up your stupid Valentine and stomped on your lollipop in tribal school."

"**Leah**!" Sam erupted, incredulous.

Jared's eyes widened in horror. "What the fuck, Sam? Do you just tell her _everything_ you see in our heads while phased?"

"Fuck, it just slipped, man! I'm sorry!" Sam apologized. "It was on your mind so much the other day and it was so bizarre and fuzzy of an old memory I just…"

"**Fucking shut up about it already!**" Jared roared unexpectedly at his Alpha, abruptly cutting him off. "It's nobody's fucking business!" Now Jared looked to be on the verge of phasing. I wasn't sure I'd ever seen Jared so angry before. Not even when he'd gotten upset over my wrists being bruised…_except maybe that time when he'd attacked Alec in the hallway. _Suddenly all eyes were on him.

"I'm sorry!" Sam apologized sincerely again. Then he glared at Leah, who was ignoring him completely.

It was clearly a sensitive memory for Jared. _What was it about? Who was the little girl? _As badly as I felt for Jared, I was slightly relieved to have the attention drawn away from me and Paul for the moment.

I turned away from Jared to find Paul staring at me. The possessive expression on his face took me by surprise and quite literally took my breath away. However I'd been looking at Jared, it didn't seem Paul had liked it. I felt his grip on me tighten.

"Whatever! It doesn't matter. And Kim **is** my imprint, whether Paul likes it or not," Jared fumed. "I've done the honorable thing, agreeing to back off and respect her relationship with Paul, to be whatever she needs me to be to her, but that doesn't mean I don't have the right to check on her well being when she's clearly hurting and upset. And it doesn't mean I won't challenge Paul's behavior when he's being a domineering prick and treating her like she's a fucking possession!"

The feral growl that erupted from Paul then might just as well have come out of a giant bear…or supernatural _wolf_. It was nowhere close to being human sounding.

"**ENOUGH!**" Sam shouted. I think probably the whole neighborhood heard. I noticed two freshman-aged girls who'd been walking on the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street literally jump and drop their book bags. They stopped in their tracks and stared, mouths agape at the sight of the angry, growling, half-naked gathering of He-Men crowded in front of Billy Black's neighbor's house.

Quil winked at the girls, flexing his new, huge biceps and hollering out, "S'up, ladies?" across the street to them in greeting. The girls' horrified expressions morphed swiftly into excited giggles as Quil bounded easily over to assist them with their fallen belongings. Jake rolled his eyes. Quil was quite enormous in his new He-Man form. And he seemed to have taken to the change rather well.

I might've laughed at the welcome humorous interlude had my heart not still been breaking.

"Jared," Sam began solemnly, "Really Old Quil says neither you nor Paul have imprinted on Kim."

"_What?_" Jared balked. "What the fuck does he know about it?"

"Not a damned fucking thing!" Paul interjected.

"Quiet!" Sam held his hands up. Now _he_ was starting to shake. "Look," he lowered his voice, "we'll deal with the Kim imprinting triangle later!" he groused. "We're making a fucking scene out here. Can we all just get back inside Billy's house, please? Paul and I found fresh tracks and vampire scent this afternoon and there were several attacks just north of the border last night. Really Old Quil has more news from the spirit guides as to what we might be up against with the redhead and he also says we have another wolf on the verge of phasing. So everyone, inside! We're having a pack meeting." He glanced around and frowned. "Where the fuck is Embry? Who was supposed to call Embry?"

"I did," Jared piped up. "He didn't answer his phone and when I phased he wasn't in wolf form so I don't know," he shrugged, "he's MIA again."

"He was fucking supposed to be here already looking after Kim," Paul griped in irritation.

Quil jogged back across the street to join us, leaving the two girls tittering and calling out goodbyes after him. He was beaming. Then his eyes fell on me and he blanched. "Oh, my god, I'm so _SO_ sorry, Kim!" He dropped instantly to his knees, holding his hands together in prayer position as he looked up at me beseechingly. "Please, _please_ forgive me, Kim? I'm _really_ sorry I accidentally tried to kill you yesterday!" he apologized earnestly.

I laughed aloud in spite of…_or perhaps because of_, my present near state of hysteria. "It's okay, Quil," I reassured him, wiping my eyes. "I'm fine. I know it was an accident."

Paul pulled me in closer, tucking my head into his chest beneath his chin. "I'll catch up with you guys later, Sam. I need to take care of Kim."

"No! Paul, this is _not_ optional," Sam blustered. "Jesus, three people were killed last night. If you want to protect Kim you need to stay focused on what the real threat to her is…_which is fucking bloodsuckers_, not Jared or the tribal elders!"

Dead silence ensued. _Three people? Killed? _ The realization hit me that I was endangering the tribe and innocent lives by distracting Jared and Paul from what was most important right now. _I was so selfish._ It would be the best thing for everyone if I went to live with Uncle Todd and Aunt Susie. I wasn't an imprint. _I was the wrong one_…and I was making things more complicated than they needed to be. What if Paul or Jared were hurt or killed because of me…because of what a distraction I was? They were supposed to be fighting as a team…as _brothers_…yet here they were at odds with one another…and all because of me.

"Sam's right," I heard myself whisper. "You should go to the meeting."

Paul's arms tightened around me.

"It's okay, Paul," Leah spoke gently. "I'll stay with Kim." I felt her delicate hand at my back. "I'll take her to my folks' house while you have your meeting. She'll be safe. I promise."

Leah somehow managed to assuage Paul's fears, and he reluctantly released me, grudgingly heading back to Billy Black's house with his pack brothers. Leah and I walked arm in arm in silence to the Clearwater's, arriving just in time to witness whom I assumed to be Leah's mother engaged in a heated altercation in the kitchen with Leah's younger brother, Seth, who I knew to be a freshman this year at La Push High.

"I'm so tired of being everyone's lackey around here!" Seth was shouting. "Do this, fetch that, fix this!" Seth had a slim but sturdy build. He was already taller than Leah and equally as handsome in his male beauty.

"I'm only asking you to pick up a few things, Seth!" Leah's mom argued defensively.

Leah's expression registered pure shock as we entered the kitchen. "Seth!" she admonished, "Don't talk to mom like that! What the hell has gotten into you?"

He turned his rage on Leah then. "Oh, stuff it, Leah. You've no right to talk! We all know what's gotten into _you_…_Sam fucking Uley_!"

"Seth!" Leah's mom scolded, clearly astonished by his outburst.

Seth slammed his fist onto the countertop. "I'm tired of everyone acting like this shit is normal around here! Like I'm just supposed to just go along with it and ignore the fact that Leah has broken up cousin Emily's engagement? Pretend it's not insane that she's given up her scholarship to Berkley to move in with the creepy cult leader of the reservation!" He unclenched his fist and flicked a crumpled piece of paper onto the countertop in his mother's direction in the process. "Why don't you get your prodigal future son-in-law and his band of juiced up freaks to run your damned errands for you?" he spat angrily before brushing past Leah and me, aggressively shouldering Leah into the wall on his way out of the kitchen. The front door soon slammed behind him.

Leah stood with her mouth ajar for a moment before muttering, "What the fuck was that about?"

"I haven't the faintest." Her mom shook her head in disbelief. She frowned as she retrieved the discarded, crumpled piece of paper, carefully smoothing it open on the countertop. She shrugged her shoulders, murmuring, "Maybe he just had a bad day at school?"

"I'll say," Leah chimed.

Her brow was still furrowed as Leah's mom raised the salvaged piece of paper to her face for inspection. I assumed it was some sort of shopping list. But as her eyes absently scanned the page they reflected a hurt and confusion that I knew had nothing to do with the content of the paper. And there was something so oddly familiar about seeing her reaction then.

Just as I was rudely staring, she finally seemed to take notice of me. "Oh, gosh, please excuse my son," she apologized, offering me a wan smile. "He's not himself this afternoon." She straightened and took a deep breath, appearing to collect herself. She was quite a beautiful, vibrant woman. It was easy to see where Leah and Seth got their good looks.

She approached me, holding her arms out warmly in greeting. I moved in awkwardly and received a gentle hug. When she finally pulled back, she kept her hands at my shoulders as she looked me over up and down, an oddly proud smile stretching across her face. _Okay, this was starting to get weird. _

"I'm Kim Callaway," I introduced myself.

"Oh, I know, dear," her smile deepened. "You've grown into such an amazing young woman, Kim. I can scarcely believe how quickly time passes."

_Wow, this was awkward._ _Did she know me before?_ Had she somehow been a friend of my mom's from years ago that I'd forgotten? It didn't seem possible. I'd never known Leah or Seth as a little girl.

"Ma, you're so cheesy!" Leah made a face and rolled her eyes. "I'm gonna run downstairs and get some junk food and cookies from the freezer," she informed her mom as she leaned in to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Kim and I are gonna pig out and have some major fun girl time." She winked at me then disappeared through a door down the narrow hallway off the kitchen. I heard the echo of her footfall down the steps to the basement.

Turning back to Leah's mom I watched in confusion as her smile turned into a slight frown. "I'm Sue. Sue Clearwater," she informed me a bit hesitantly. "I'm a nurse at the clinic in town," she imparted, studying my face intently.

"Oh," I nodded, smiling agreeably. _Huh…I guess I must've seen her there sometime when I was a kid. _Maybe she'd given me a booster shot or something?

Her head tilted to the side and she asked, "You don't remember me, do you?"

I smiled and shook my head. "Sorry…no."

"I was the first to arrive after you called 911," she stated quietly, evenly.

She didn't mean? _Did she?_ I didn't say anything. What the hell was she talking about?

"The hospital emergency dispatch called the clinic, knowing we'd be able to reach your mom the fastest, with the hope that we'd be able to keep her stabilized until the ambulance from Forks Hospital could get there."

I just nodded…or at least I thought I did. The movement of my head felt barely perceptible.

"I'm so sorry we weren't able to save her, Kim," she breathed. There was a long pause and I wondered if I wasn't losing my mind and imagining this entire conversation I was now having. _Where was Leah? Why hadn't she come back with the cookies already? _

"You did everything right, you know?" she began again. "I'll never forget what a brave, responsible little girl you were. You were so calm…keeping your wits about you the whole time," she praised. "It was truly remarkable." _Why was she still talking about it? _ It was awkward enough that I didn't remember her from fucking Adam. _Did she have to remember all these details and make me look like a total ass?_

_What was wrong with me?_ I was three weeks away from turning 17 and already senility was setting in? I didn't remember the critical lunchtime conversation I'd apparently had with Paul in fourth grade. I didn't recall him being at my mom's funeral…could barely recollect any details from that entire day, actually. And now Sue Clearwater was staring at me as if she was worried my head was about to spontaneously combust all over her kitchen at any second. I had absolutely no recollection of her arriving at the scene of my mother's collapse. As far as I was concerned, I'd never seen her before in my life other than perhaps being next to her in line in the supermarket or passing her on the street at some point or another… _or maybe seeing her at the clinic as a patient?_

_But never in my own home?_ I was sure of it. _And not on that day! _

"I'm sorry…I…I don't remember much from that day," I managed to utter in response. _Why did I always have to sound like an idiot?_

She nodded, still frowning at me curiously. "It's okay, honey. Don't even worry about it. It's completely understandable. You were so young. And it happens quite frequently. You know…the mind has a way of," her eyes squinted in consternation, "…_disassociating_…when we experience traumatic events. It's one of our ultimate survival tools, in fact," she informed me with a kind, sympathetic smile…_although she still looked like she feared my head might explode._

I nodded calmly and plastered a weak smile on my lips...as if I understood what the hell she was going on about. Like there wasn't a foreign, yet eerily familiar fear coursing through my veins at the pitying look I saw in her eyes…the look she was bestowing upon me now. I felt my heart rate pick up. I could've sworn the room started spinning. Tears sprang to my eyes and spilled over. I kept the smile in place though, even as my lips trembled. I didn't even know why I was crying. She probably thought I was a psychopath. Her eyes didn't change, didn't blink.

_And I hated them_. Because somewhere…somehow a part of me realized I knew those eyes. There was no denying it. And I knew…I just _knew_ I'd somehow just disrupted some delicate balance within the universe, tilted my entire internal cosmos on its axis, simply by looking at Sue Clearwater's eyes.

I still didn't remember it, but somehow I was certain she had been in my kitchen with me, kneeling over my mother's body with me, and I knew she'd looked at me with those same eyes. And I felt such a burning, irrational hatred for Leah's mom in that moment I was sure I was capable of killing her with my own bare hands.

I felt sweat pouring off of me as my ulcer raged to life. I was suddenly so hot I was sweltering. I was so angry, I was shaking. But I kept smiling. Even while I was still crying. And Sue just looked at me. Just fucking looked at me with the same damn pitying eyes I wanted to claw from her face. I vaguely heard Leah calling to her mom from the basement where she was searching for something. Her mom didn't respond. She just watched me. She was starting to look rather concerned.

_Bitch! _ _What did she think she saw?_ _She didn't know me! She never knew my mother._ And she didn't have any right to stand there looking like she knew things, thinking that she saw things that were none of her fucking business to see.

_God damnit I was angry! _ And I couldn't seem to stem the tide. I just kept growing more and more incensed. Between my adrenaline pumping and the tears falling it grew harder and harder to breathe. Still I kept smiling. I wasn't even sure why I bothered. It became increasingly harder not to lash out and simply sock Sue Clearwater in the face. _Maybe clutch her by the throat?_

_Jesus Christ, why was I thinking these awful things? _ My muscles were trembling so hard it hurt. I couldn't handle so much anger…so much hatred. It was all consuming. It felt uncomfortably uncontrollable…so _unfathomable_, and yet so anciently familiar it was as if my own 'normal' self was the phony…and this anger…_this hideous strength_, was the real me.

And then I did something bad…something_ wrong_.

I did something I'd promised myself long ago never to do again. Something which looking back over my childhood memories over the years I'd been able to convince myself had never happened before. I had only imagined I'd done it all those times. It was the stuff of childish fantasy, the trappings of an overactive, whimsical imagination.

And yet here I stood as a grown adult, and I did it again…**I simply left**. I didn't leave the room on my two legs like a normal person, nor did I excuse myself and end the conversation which was making me so uncomfortable. I simply checked out inside my head.

I broke off. I split apart. _I separated_.

Like I'd done countless times before as a child, I knew relief from the horror of my own emotions the moment I found myself standing beside myself, watching myself from the outside. The ultimate irony was in the same moment I realized I had to be certifiably fucking crazy, I felt absolutely fine.

"Kim!" Paul's deep blessed baritone called to me; enveloped me. I instantly wanted to return to my body as I saw him make his way through the kitchen in my direction, his big arms wrapping around my quivering frame, tucking me securely into his chest.

And then I was in those arms, quietly sniffling into his chest as I heard him ask Sue what had happened, very nearly interrogating her as to what had upset me. I heard Leah come up the stairs as Sue apologized for bringing up my mother's death. I noted Sam was in the kitchen as well, though I wasn't sure when he'd arrived. It was all very confusing. It was like I'd lost time, but I knew I hadn't. _Had I?_

Some other words were exchanged and then Sue offered everyone cherry cobbler. Paul declined curtly on our behalf as he lifted me bridal style. I huddled against his chest, relishing in his warmth as I felt my trembling slowly subsiding. Leah expressed concern and made Paul promise to bring me back later that night so she and I could have our girl time. Sam reminded him he had to be back in three hours.

The next thing I knew I was breathing in fresh air and the comforting scent of Paul. I don't know for how long or how far he carried me through the forest. My head was pounding. It felt like I was getting a migraine now. My eyes drifted open and closed, periodically catching Paul's concerned expression looking down at me as we glided through the slowly darkening woods at inhuman speed. He kept bending to kiss my forehead, murmuring sweet words to me, begging me to tell him what he could do to make it better. It was then I realized I must've been crying the entire time. I was having a hard time focusing on his words, an even harder time staying present to him and what was happening. Finally I felt myself being gently laid out on the forest floor near a large, fallen tree. The ground was cold and damp and I shivered at the loss of Paul's warmth as I heard his soft footsteps on the leaf litter…walking away from me! _Was he leaving me? _

Before full on hysteria could set in at that thought, I came up onto my elbows in time to see Paul's enormous, majestic grey wolf loping over to me. He was gigantic. Had he been that big before? Perhaps my memory was distorted as my view of him had mostly been from beneath him the last time I'd seen him. He approached me cautiously, keeping his head bowed and emitting little intermittent yipping noises that somehow made him seem less like a threatening, supernatural beast and more like big puppy. _A big puppy I wanted to cuddle with! _

I sat fully upright; then came up onto my knees. He was so much taller than me I had to crane my neck back to look up at him as he slowly approached me until his big muzzle was perched above my face. I reached my hands up to stroke the sides of his furry visage as he carefully lowered his head to mine. He purred deep in his chest as the tip of his nose lowered to nuzzle the crook of my neck.

He was so warm and soft. As I felt his hot breath hit the back of my neck, blowing sheer heat and comfort down my spine through the open collar of my tee shirt, I forgot about being upset. Nothing else mattered except for the big fluffy wolf. I closed my eyes and breathed in the scent I loved so much. It wrapped itself around me. It seemed to penetrate my very pores. It even made my head feel better. I wondered how I'd managed to live my whole life without knowing that scent. He nudged me gently with his nose until I found myself back on the cool forest floor. Soon my big wolf had lowered to the ground beside me. Through a series of nudges, purrs, whimpers and yips he managed to direct my limbs until he seemed satisfied with our positioning. I was almost on top of him I was backed so far up against him as he lay on his side, his body curled in around me, spooning me like he had done before. I was warm all over now. His hot breath tickled against my skin as his nose ran back and forth from the crown of my head to my shoulder, sniffing me.

He yipped once more. But this time it seemed to be a clear directive of some sort. He did it again. I was sure I was completely nuts now but on some level I understood that yip. He wanted me to speak. He was _telling me _to talk. So I did. I told him about the imprint meeting. About how at first I thought imprinting sounded nice…romantic. But then I was upset about being an imprint when I found out it meant baby-maker and forced love. And finally, I admitted I was slightly devastated when Really Old Quil told me I was _not_ an imprint.

I shared my weird side conversation with Really Old Quil and the bizarre words he'd spoken in Latin which I could now no longer recall. I told him I didn't want him to fight with Jared anymore because of me. I didn't want to be a reason for discord among the pack. It was so easy to talk to Paul's wolf. He just listened. He nuzzled my neck encouragingly; he blanketed me with his sweet scent of comfort and home.

And so I even told him about not remembering Sue Clearwater being at my house on the day my mother died. I told him I was scared I was losing my memory, my mental faculties or worse. I was concerned I didn't seem to remember key events from my childhood that other people had to tell me about.

But after that I stopped talking and fell into contemplative silence. I chose not to tell him how angry I'd felt towards Sue. I didn't acknowledge that on some level I had ultimately realized I did in fact remember her…just not with the conscious mind I was used to using. _Because how could I even explain that?_ I didn't even understand what it meant. I didn't share how I'd just recovered my old childhood ability of separating in the Clearwater's kitchen. Some things no one else ever needed to know, right? Some bizarre habits no one would ever understand, or even believe if I tried to tell them. Some secrets would always remain my own.

_Kimberly meant royal fortress._ Really Old Quil had said I'd created a veritable stronghold. Somehow he'd known that I'd spent a lifetime locking secrets and '_treasures_'… according to him, away from the world. But what if I'd also hidden them away from myself? _What if Sue Clearwater was simply the tip of the iceberg of everything I'd forgotten?_

I was distracted from that disturbing train of thought though as Paul's scent which I craved so much suddenly grew overwhelmingly stronger. He was nuzzling the back of my neck beneath my hair, right at the spot where Paul had bitten me several times. Then he began licking repeatedly at the tender skin there with his warm tongue. _Oh, wow, this was super weird. _I felt my stomach begin to tighten and coil as warmth spread to my lower regions. _We had to be the most twisted, deviant couple ever! _To my horror I couldn't suppress the whimpers of desire that were escaping me now. I lifted my head and shoulders off the ground, trying to move my neck away from his reach, but the grey wolf growled in reprimand, pressing me gently back down to where he could resume his attentions at my neck.

Just as I was beginning to pant from desire and wondering if I could ever live with myself if I were to slip my hand down between my legs now and get myself off in front of Paul in wolf form, I felt my furry friend fade away and Paul's human hands were on me. They were everywhere, strong and firm, molding to my body in all the places I most wanted to feel them. My shirt and bra were lost instantly, jerked swiftly over my head. I felt Paul's warm, naked chest against my back as he grabbed and massaged the full weight of each of my breasts with one strong hand. His other large hand had already sunk inside the front waistband of my jeans, his fingers stroking my soaked center with a sureness that had me noisily coming apart before they'd even entered me while his human lips and tongue lapped gently at my tender neck spot.

I knew I was probably the worst kind of sex-crazed, brazen hussy, but before I'd even finished climaxing against his fingers, I was already wiggling against him, my own shaky fingers stealing down to undo the button and zipper of my jeans as I moaned, "I need more, Paul…_please_?" I wanted him inside me.

He groaned and turned me over on the forest floor. I felt the loss of his warmth and the scratchy leaf litter against the skin of my bare back. He hovered above me, his muscular thighs straddling my waist, his hands on either side of my face. He was naked. I looked down and saw his huge glistening erection in the twilight and I almost came apart with want. I lifted my pelvis up, shimmying and jerking back and forth as my fingers worked to pry my jeans down my hips. _Why wasn't he helping me? _

His eyes were dark with desire but his expression was strangely serious as his long fingers steadied my chin and held my face still with both hands, drawing my eyes up from where they'd been focused on my task of removing my pants.

His voice was deep and authoritative. "We have to talk first, Kim." _Oh, my god! Was he fucking serious? _I was pretty sure I'd just revealed more to him than I'd ever had before to probably anyone.

My eyes must have registered my shock and bewilderment because he chuckled and pressed little kisses to my face, murmuring some sort of apology against my lips.

"Believe me, baby, I want you just as much as you want me right now. But we don't have much time." He frowned. "I have to leave with Sam in a few hours. We're gonna track the vampire scent we found, see how far north it goes."

I felt myself panicking, an odd fear seizing around my heart. "We won't be gone more than a day," he assured me, running his thumb across my lower lip before lowering his mouth to mine. "Don't worry. Leah will look after you…and Embry too," he soothed, adding under his breath, "…_once we fucking find him_."

"Listen to me, Kim. You want to be my imprint, right?" His bottomless eyes penetrated mine. I nodded without thinking.

He ran the tip of his nose alongside mine as he continued, "You want to be my imprint, because you want to belong to me, right? You want us to belong to each other, don't you?" he confirmed, his intense eyes lifting once again to search mine. I nodded. I raised my hips and started working at removing my jeans again. His warm hand captured mine and moved it up by the side of my head. Then his fingers returned to splay across my abdomen, gently pushing my lower body back down to the forest floor. I whimpered. _I wanted him to help me take my jeans off, not stop me!_

"Shh…_please_, just listen to me now, Kimmie," he pleaded. "Then I promise I'll take care of you, okay?"

I bit my lip and nodded, trying to tamp down my increasing frustration. _What was happening to me?_ Aside from all the other insanity, which had transpired today, now I was half-naked deep in the woods somewhere, and hornier than I'd ever been in my life. It was something about the smell of Paul's wolf. It was the thought of our bodies joined together in ecstasy on the forest floor, that had me on the verge of combustion. "Sorry," I panted. "It's just…_different_. Your _smell_…" I tried to explain, "...your wolf…" But I just ended up moaning and trying to wiggle against the gentle hold he had on my abdomen.

Paul was watching me closely now. He swallowed and licked his lips. "Fuck, baby," he whispered. He was breathing hard. I saw his big dick twitch and leak more fluid. I moaned. I wanted to lick it. He seemed to finally understand…seemed to at last sense this was something different I was feeling now.

"I want to mark you, honey," he growled, looking at me now like he actually wanted to _eat me_, not just mark me.

"Okay!" I agreed instantly. _Great, were we done talking now? _I tried to move my hand back down to attend to the task of removing my pants. He stopped me yet again, causing me to groan in frustration.

"This is serious, baby." Shit, he was using his serious voice again, too.

"If I do this, it'll mean we belong together…_forever_," he emphasized. "It'll be stronger than an imprint, Kim." His eyes searched mine for some sort of recognition…some comprehension. "Jared won't have a choice but to back off," he explained. "Do you understand? My wolf and I want you for life, sweetheart. But you have to comprehend what you're agreeing to. I have to know for sure you want this too."

I couldn't help but think this would all be way more romantic if my pants were off already. I nodded again. "Uh-huh, _sure_…I'm down," I told him, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. Now more than ever I needed Paul Lahote to live up to his reputation and just frickin fuck me already!

"_**Forever**_, baby," he reiterated. His self-control looked to be on the verge of snapping, as I nodded aggressively again.

"Forever," I repeated. He growled. He looked more animalistic, more predatory than ever before as he hovered over me, his black eyes heavy with lust. "Please?" I beseeched, my eyes darting down to his dripping, hard member pulsating above my midsection, as I searched for the right words. "Can I _try_…can I…_practice_…giving you a blow job now?"

* * *

><p>I sat on the felled tree, Kim naked on her knees in front of me, her delicate fingers braced against my thighs as I held her beautiful face in my hands. Her parted full lips were swollen; her pupils were so dark, so fully dilated as she looked at me with such want…such hunger I was sure it'd probably take just one firm stroke and I'd be coming all over her. Suddenly that seemed like a great idea…spurting my white ribbons of cum all over her breasts. Was it my imagination or had they just grown bigger again since yesterday? <em>Fuck me, those breasts!<em> I was gonna blow before she even got her sweet lips around my cock. _Shit, I had to stop growling so much before I scared her._

I guided her head down gently between my legs, directly over my throbbing cockhead. _Fuck this was the hottest thing I'd ever seen._ And then her pink tongue darted out and tentatively licked the drops of my pre-cum that had pooled at my slit and it took every ounce of self-control I possessed not to explode in her face right then. _Shit, I was gonna come like a damn virgin at this rate! _ And then her warm mouth closed around my head as her tongue swirled, tasting and exploring me as her eyes looked up innocently to me for guidance…for reassurance she was doing it right.

"Ahh, _fuck_…oh, god…ugh, shit, baby!" I groaned and muttered nonsensically like a damn fool. "Yeah…that's good…just like that…just…_fuuuuck_…ooh, fuck me, baby…"

Shit I was supposed to be teaching _her_…instructing her on how to give a proper blow job. At this rate it was looking like I'd never even received one before. I had to get my shit together. She was moaning and humming as she moved slowly up and down on the head of my cock, sucking me gently. If possible, the scent of her arousal grew even thicker in the air. _Holy mother fucking hell!_ Goddamn, this was fucking crazy hot! This was my sweet little Kimmie…sucking on my cockhead like she was enjoying a damn tootsie pop. In all the time I'd wanted her…waited for her, I'd never actually thought I'd see this day. She was _mine_ at long last. _And she'd be permanently mine before we left this forest_.

I'd had an innate sense that my wolf would somehow calm and relax her when she was so upset earlier I didn't know what else to fucking do. But I had no idea his presence would make her so fucking hot and horny she'd be begging me to fuck her on the forest floor.

_Fuck, I had to stop growling so much! _

I realized both of my hands were now fisted probably a little too forcefully in her hair. I had to calm down. I held my grip on her hair firmly with my right hand. Releasing my left hand I took her right hand that was resting against my thigh and brought it to the base of my shaft. I began to guide her hand up and down, showing her how to stroke me. Then I slowly relaxed my hold and let go, encouraging her to try it by herself. Her big eyes looked up at me, searching for my approval that she was doing it right. Fuck I was gonna shoot so hard down her throat if she kept looking at me like that.

I decided against showing her how she could stroke my balls with her other hand. _I wasn't gonna last very long as it was already. _

"Yeah, just like that, baby. Don't worry…_you __**can't**__ do it wrong_," I told her. "Everything you do is fucking _perfect_," I assured her.

"Ah…gahhad, you're so fucking beautiful, baby…everything you do to me feels so good," I gushed. She seemed to be gaining confidence as she tried to take me further into her mouth. "Oh, fuck, yeah…just like that…just whatever you're comfortable with, honey, just take me in as far as you want to…anything you do is perfect." _Oh, god, I was gonna explode._

I was gonna come so hard down her throat. And then I'd eat her out. Spread her open on the forest floor and fuck her so well with my tongue her screams would be heard throughout the whole reservation. Then I'd flip her over and bury myself inside of her from behind. Give her all of me, work her over so good again and again until she was dripping wet and gripping the life out of my cock as she begged me to mark her on the outside as I marked her with my seed on the inside.

_Mother fucker I had to quit growling so much! _I was on the verge of combustion though and my wolf was in fucking heaven at the prospect of marking her mouth with our scent. _Shit! I was such a dick. I hadn't even asked her!_

"_Baby?" _Her wide eyes lifted innocently to mine again. "Oh, god…you're so…_so_ good… at that…" I groaned. _Fuck, she looked so damn hot…she looked like she was so aroused she was about to come herself. _

"You're gonna make me come so hard, sweetie," I told her. She moaned her apparent pleasure at hearing that over my dick. "Ah, _fuuucccck_…" I had to repeatedly resist the urge to jerk forward into her sweet warm mouth. "If you…if you don't want me to come in your mouth, you gotta stop now," I panted, desperately trying to hold it together. Her brows furrowed in question. "You gotta take your mouth off my dick, honey," I clarified, "_but __**only**__ if you want to!_"

She looked up at me with a measure of uncertainty, like she was trying to gauge what it was _**I **_wanted. _Fuck, she didn't know? _

_Shit, was that me that just whimpered?_

"Baby, I wanna come in your mouth so fucking badly," I groaned, "…but only…_only_ if you want…to taste my smell…like you told me you wanted to before…" I panted. Her eyes widened, then darkened with some sort of lustful delight I never in my wildest fucking wet dreams imagined I'd get to see from Kimmie Callaway!

_Oh, shit…this was it! It was a miracle I'd lasted this long. _

"Fuck, I'm coming, baby!" I shouted in warning, then mumbled a quick "_sorry_" as I accidently yanked on her hair probably a little too firmly yet _again_…_like a damned novice_. She gripped my shaft harder and pushed me even further into her mouth to the back of her throat.

_God bless her, she was a fucking angel!_ "Oh, _fuuuuccccck…_" I bellowed out into the forest.

I jerked and spurted stream after hot stream down her throat, muttering swear words and _thank you'_s and god only knows what other pansy ass shit as I clutched her head desperately to my groin with both hands, apologizing profusely when she gagged a little at the sheer amount I was offering up to her, followed by more _thank you_'s.

Christ, I couldn't remember ever coming so hard from a blow job! As she released me, licking my head clean as she popped off, I lifted her up into my lap, kissing all over her face before forcing my tongue inside her mouth, kissing her thoroughly and properly before finally breaking away. Her eyes were sparkling with desire and excitement as she looked expectantly at me and asked shyly, "Did I do okay?"

Some crazy part of me felt like I might actually cry. "Oh, baby," I caressed her swollen, red lips with my thumb, "you did so much better than okay. That was the best I've ever had," I told her solemnly.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. Then she blushed and giggled, "No, way!"

I nodded. "I swear on my life, honey."

She turned an even deeper shade of red as the laughter fell from her face. I meant it. I'd had a lot of blow jobs…_a lot of fantastic blow jobs_…from eager girls and experienced women with far more practiced skill and finesse than Kim. But Kim had made me completely lose myself in my excitement, like I was 13 having my dick licked for the very first time. I knew I loved Kim. But as obnoxiously guy of me as it probably was, I don't think I'd really realized how much until I was coming down her throat just now.

"Your turn, angel," I told her as my hand snaked between her legs, taking her down to the ground with me onto her back as I spread her knees wide and I settled my mouth between them. And now I was gonna make my girl scream.

**A/N – Sorry, I'm not really evil, I just write too darn much. So this is now a three part chap…lol! More lemon ahead! Review and I'll try to edit and post the rest by tomorrow night. ;) I kid, but really… I am trying to post the next installment in the next few days. Stay tuned… **


	21. Ch 21 Curse of the Imprint Migraine Pt 3

**A/N – Okay, so this took a bit longer than the few days I anticipated. Sorry, there was a tree to trim, a Santa to visit, a nephew to be born, a husband's birthday to celebrate, holiday parties to attend, shoes to purchase, etc. And now back to cunnilingus in the forest! Beware lemons this chapter and mature content!**

**Speaking of which, the last time I emailed with the FF administrators was several weeks ago and I still don't know what the heck is going on since I got the last of the nasty messages from the church lady about my illicit porn. Since I haven't heard back as to whether my story was deemed too scandalous for an M rating, for now I'm just going to continue posting my smut as usual and hope for the best I suppose.**

**Pimping:**** I know I rag on my Jake character something fierce this fanfic (**_**and FYI, it's not gonna stop anytime soon**_**) but I really am Team Jacob! And I'm currently really loving **_**Wolfasaurus**_**' Jacob in her sexy and superbly well-written (like legit!) story, **_**Legacy**_**. Which by the way, also contains some fantastically hot Leah & Embry action. And Jacob is paired with a really cool original character, Aurora. I know, I know…those original characters are scary sometimes when they infringe upon our sacred Twilight FF world, so it might help to simply think of Aurora as a super OOC Bella…**_**like better looking, less whiny, more interesting and intelligent and possessing greater depth and strength of character.**_** (Sorry, I can't help it… I only seem to like reading really OOC versions of "Bella" in FF world so for me it honestly helps things along when the author does me the favor of simply writing Bella out of the story entirely. Lol!) **

"_Breathe!_" I heard Paul growl out just before his warm, wet mouth closed over top of my mound, his tongue sweeping broadly over and around my inner folds before using the pointed tip to zero in and trace small slow circles on my pulsing clitoris that was now throbbing away like a ticking time bomb set to detonate.

"Oh, gah," I heard myself wail. "Oh, fuck…oh _please_…" I moaned, "Aah, god…_more_…please, Paul?" I begged, arching my pelvis into his assailing tongue. Reflexively I tried to raise my knees and clamp my inner thighs around his head to gain friction but he snarled and held my knees pressed open to the ground. _Oh, Taha Aki, this was not the time for teasing!_

My first experience giving Paul a blow job had been markedly erotic; way more of a turn on than I'd ever imagined. With the taste of him fresh in my mouth, I was still reeling with the exhilaration of knowing I'd brought him to orgasm with my tongue. _On my first try!_ And he'd even said I was the best he'd ever had. I knew better than to believe it was true…but he'd professed it with such sincerity I could still feel myself blushing with inflated pride.

And now I could hear myself babbling like an idiot as I writhed on the ground and wiggled myself against his wickedly gentle tongue that was doing just enough to make me crazy but not enough to finish me off. The sky was darkening to black above me as I whimpered and pleaded and bucked my hips into his evil mouth like the biggest sex crazed hussy probably to ever get tongued in the middle of the forest…_by a supernatural shape-shifting wolf in human form, no less. _

_Oh, shit, it was all way, way too damn much! _

I was losing it. Everything that had happened this week in fact was way too much to actually be believed. And this moment in the woods was just the icing on my full scale descent into insanity cake.

In the last few days not only had I gained a half brother my cheating dad hadn't ever had the decency during my entire life to let me know I had; but said brother just happened to be a shape-shifter designed to destroy vampires who threatened our tribe. I'd forsaken my longtime love and devotion for Jared Cameron at the very moment he chose to finally notice my existence and instead I'd lost my virginity and fallen in love with his fellow shape-shifting wolf, dissolute womanizer, Paul Lahote. As if that hadn't been reckless enough, now I'd readily agreed to let him mark me in some ritualistic manner that involved him biting me on the neck.

_I was going to need so much therapy. _

And if he didn't let me come soon I was sure the whole reservation was going to know exactly how crazy and depraved my new life had become I was making so much noise now that he'd finally taken pity on me and sucked my clit into his mouth.

Then just as it occurred to me that was precisely what my perverse tormentor most likely wanted, his teeth scraped lightly over my sensitive nub and with a half growl, half-groan he demanded, "_Scream for me, baby!_" right before his tongue drove straight inside of me and commenced ravaging me with a ferocity that could not be denied.

_And I screamed_.

I choked and wailed and shouted all manner of primal noises at the top of my lungs straight up to the tree tops. I felt more animal than human myself as I dug my hands into the earth on either side of me and practically howled my pleasure as I convulsed over his conquering tongue. He certainly sounded more beast than man as he growled and rumbled his satisfaction at my response straight inside of me, his tongue continuing to flicker and thrust, lapping up every last drop of me.

_And holy fuck he was relentless!_ He didn't let up for a second, wouldn't permit me to come down. His fingers replaced his tongue, compelling my quivering insides to contract and seize again at his bidding. _And fuck if it didn't feel so outrageously fantastic I was okay if I wound up dying from heart failure in that moment on the forest floor! _

His lips hummed delightfully over my most sensitive exposed organ, his tongue continuing its gentle exploration as he stroked and twisted two fingers inside of my dripping center until I easily came apart for the third time in a row. _Oh, shit!_ I screamed so loudly I could have sworn I heard legions of small forest animals scatter and scamper in fear for their very lives within a five mile radius.

Finally his mouth released me; mumbling a stream of profanity and fairly coarse observations about my delicious cunt and how well he intended to fuck it if I continued being such a good girl and screaming so nicely for him. His big hands warmed and soothed their way up my trembling torso as he crawled over me until his dark features and glowing golden eyes hovered just above mine. I was shaking like a leaf from head to toe, every muscle in my body seemed to have been activated and pushed past the point of exhaustion even though all I'd done was lie there and get ravished by Paul's mouth. And then that mouth descended upon mine in a devastating kiss as proprietary as it was all consuming. He paused just long enough to allow us both necessary oxygen murmuring, "It's time now," in a deep voice heavy with authority, before plunging his tongue into my mouth once more. I didn't need to ask what it was time for.

_Oh, fuck Sue Clearwater!_ Fuck the telltale signs I was likely holding a one way ticket headed straight to the loony bin!

_Fuck imprinting and supernatural puppy breeding. _ _Fuck Really Old Quil and his stupid Latin and his lame insight into my fucking psychopath of a mother! _

_**Paul wanted me**__. His grey wolf wanted me!_ They wanted me enough to bite me. _ That meant something special, right? _In the animal kingdom they always bit the ones they loved, didn't they? Hadn't I seen or read about that somewhere?

My mother had never wanted me. My very creation had all but ruined her life. My father had never paid any attention to me. He barely knew me. I'd always been alone. Maggie, my one friend, didn't even want to be around me anymore. Somehow no matter what I did or didn't do, I was always wrong…I was never good enough. I could never seem to make the important people in my life happy.

_But I could make Paul and his beautiful grey wolf happy._ I just had to let them show their affection by biting me. It would just be like getting a kiss from the grey wolf, I reasoned. It wouldn't even hurt… _much_.

_Would it?_

* * *

><p>She looked up at me, her beautiful, bleary eyes seeming to regain some clarity as I released her mouth, then dipped back down to brush my lips against her luscious swollen ones just once more. "Is…ah…" she hesitated nervously, "will…will it hurt?" she asked quietly. She flushed even more, as if she was embarrassed to be asking it; or simply ashamed of her own fear.<p>

I felt my head automatically shake in the negative in response. _I was such a selfish dick._

"I'll make sure it's the good kind, baby," I clarified, running the tips of my fingers down her cheek to her chin, "just like I did before." She chewed her pouty lower lip and nodded. I ran my thumb over and between her lips, forcing her teeth to relinquish their hold so I could kiss her again.

_Fuck, I was a bastard._ She trusted me. She was scared, I could smell it…but she still trusted me. _What the hell did I know about how it was going to hurt? I'd never marked anyone before!_

I couldn't do this. Yet I had to. I was running out of time. And I was running out of the strength to fight against my wolf.

Kim had looked like she was falling apart right in front of my eyes this afternoon, first at Billy's and then in the kitchen with Sue. I knew she was confused. I knew she was scared. Fuck she looked like she'd just been through one of the worst days of her life when I carried her out into the forest. _And I was so terrified she would run. _

My wolf's thoughts where Kim was concerned were growing more desperate and intense… and more of a puzzle to me. The wolf was terrified she would flee as well…and that she would somehow be hurt in the process. He was chanting louder than ever that we had to claim her for her own protection…_for her own good_, he insisted. And this was how he wore me down. My resolve to fight him weakened as my fears for Kim's safety took hold.

He kept saying we needed to be her alpha; that we alone could protect her only as her alpha. It didn't make sense to the man in me. It felt wrong to me. My wolf wanted to gain control over her. He wanted to dominate my sweet girl. He was after her submission. A part of me felt so sick that I was ready to indulge some twisted desire of my inner animal to bring my sweet baby girl to heel.

But the wolf didn't see her as I did. It was baffling to me, but I'd come to realize he somehow persisted in viewing her almost as if she were another wolf; a wolf he needed to dominate and bring under his protection…as if she were to be made a part of his pack. He saw her as a danger to herself…dangerous to the whole tribe even, if left outside of our domain.

As I lifted her in my arms and carried her over to the felled log, I couldn't help but feel distressed by my wolf's thought process. _Kim wasn't a danger to anyone_. She was the most non-aggressive, non-threatening sweetheart of a girl I'd ever known; loving and forgiving to a fault if anything. She wasn't even comfortable admitting her own resentment towards her mother. _And I had it on good authority what a fucking cunt that woman had been. _

My Kimmie was an angel. And I'd always wanted so much for her to be with me because she _wanted_ me… not because she was _bound_ to me by some ritualistic marking. But the animal desire to claim what was ours was winning out.

Conflicted as I felt over my inner animal's motives for what was about to take place, I also knew I owed much to the wolf with regard to my present position with Kim. I was painfully aware that without his influence I would never have allowed myself to aggressively pursue her as I had most recently done.

I had coveted her for so fucking long; my desire for her never seeming to wane despite how I wished year after year that somehow it would magically abate over time. She had always been too good for me; too precious and wholesome for me to permit myself to sully with my abject unworthiness. I'd tried to slake my hunger to possess her with other girls…_lots of other girls_. They were never enough to satisfy my aching void.

Over the years I still hadn't exactly worked out how I would ever one day stand by and allow her to be with anyone else when she eventually dated. Yet despite how unconscionably licentious I was, I couldn't quite abide the thought of seducing Kimmie and taking her for my own selfish purposes either. But somewhere in the dark recess of my disturbed mind I'd held a small candle of hope that one day I'd grow into the man deserving of Kim's affections. Even more far-fetched, I'd harbored a childish fantasy that one day she'd seek me out, take notice and look at me the way I'd always pathetically yearned she would...like I was it for her.

It was a grossly improbable possibility, I knew, further reinforced over the years each time she politely shied away from me in the hallway or in class, discreetly looked in the other direction when I tried to acknowledge or engage her. It didn't take superior canine senses to figure out I scared her. Rightfully so…I had always been trouble; and Kim was smart enough to know it.

After I wolfed out I was positively resolute I would _never_ allow myself to claim Kim as my own. I was a wild, angry beast; a supernatural monster capable of incomparable violence. If there had ever been any sliver of hope as to my one day being worthy of Kim, it was obliterated the moment I exploded into a massive ball of fur. Compounded with that was the knowledge of Sam's terrible situation with Leah and Emily as a result of imprinting. I would never allow myself to put Kim in physical or emotional harm's way like that.

But then I saw her in the hallway on the first day of school. And she was so different; not only physically. Outwardly she still displayed her classic timid Kimmie exterior, despite her slight yet distinctive change in physical appearance, but beneath the surface there was something else. Some sort of fucking fire smoldering to life. It called to me. _It called to my wolf_. And as much as I'd always wanted her before, it was nothing compared to how I craved her when I saw her then. I _had_ to have her. It was beyond choice or reason.

At first I was so fucking pissed. So enraged that after all that time and all those years of mentally masturbating over whether or not I could ever allow myself to lay claim to her, after finally accepting I'd never have her, I'd imprinted on her.

_And at the same time as fucking Jared!_ The moron who hadn't noticed her quietly pining after him for over a goddamned decade! Asshole didn't even know who the hell she was. He didn't even know her fucking name. And he and his wolf just thought they were going to lay claim to my girl? _Over my fucking dead body! _

_Damnit now I was growling again! _ And I was squeezing her too tightly in my arms. I had to calm the beast in me.

"How…how does it work?" she asked a little shakily. She was nervous. Fuck, she still smelled so scared. I needed to get her relaxed or it would hurt more when I bit through to her muscle tissue.

I brushed my lips across her ear as I positioned her forward facing onto my lap, her legs astride mine. "Just let me make you feel good, Kimmie. Don't think so much, baby, just relax." She nodded dutifully and I felt like an even greater ass.

_I didn't deserve her trust. _I didn't deserve_ her. _

But I forced those thoughts from my mind as I began running my anxious, greedy hands over her. Eating her out on the forest ground while she'd screamed and clawed her hands into the dirt had ranked right up there as one of the hottest fucking sexual experiences of my existence. It was all I could do not to just ram my stiff prick up inside of her at breakneck speed the moment I withdrew my tongue from her wet swollen pussy. But I had to maintain my composure. I needed to stay focused. I couldn't let my animal out any more than he already was.

Fuck, her skin was so smooth and soft everywhere I never wanted to stop touching her. I massaged the muscles of her upper back until I felt the tightness release from between her shoulder blades, then I worked my hands up and down her spine. I wanted to memorize every inch of her gorgeous back.

_And that beautiful neck! _My fingers closed around it, stroking up and down gently, coaxing her delicate muscles to release and soften.

_She was mine! _She would never be Jared's now. He didn't deserve her. He would never love her the way I did.

In truth I honestly believed I would have possessed the strength of will to force myself to back off if I'd actually thought Jared was what she wanted, and what was best for her, no matter what my inner wolf had demanded. But after the way she reacted to me in Chemistry class that first day, after the way she responded to me in the janitor's closet, and after how I saw in Jared's hapless head the way she stopped him before he could bring her to orgasm against the wall of her living room, I knew…_I fucking knew she belonged only to me! _

My wolf had rejoiced at her early confession that we smelled better to her than Jared did. That knowledge alone had been evidence enough for him that we should claim her. Fuck, he'd wanted to claim her even before that in the janitor's closet. I was pretty sure he might've done so the first time we'd bitten her neck had I not been restraining him so forcefully.

And now all too soon I would sink my canines into that elegant neck until I drew her blood and I would permanently mark her as my own. _No one else would ever have her. _

_Shit, the thought of biting her until I drew her blood was making my dick so impossibly hard I knew that surely had to make me some kind of sick bastard! _

Keeping one hand around the back of her neck so I could continue to massage and keep her muscles relaxed there, I opened my legs wider, spreading her open for me while my other hand drifted up in between her thighs. She was already soaking wet, her body trembling as I slipped my fingers lightly along her sensitized folds. Her heart was beating a frantic pace as she panted and arched her pelvis into my evasive fingers.

The urge to just bury my length inside of her and jerk up into her fast and rough until we both came undone was strong as I felt my animal clawing his way to the surface in anticipation. But I would keep him on a tight leash…contain my baser animalistic instinct as much as possible during the claiming. I was already letting the beast in me have his way with Kim in the marking. The marking would be an act violent enough all on its own. I wouldn't succumb to my wolfish instinct and allow the coupling that accompanied it to be as coarse and primal.

I lifted her up by her waist and positioned her over the blunt head of my eager erect member. Again, the primordial instinct to simply slam her down onto me was almost overpowering. And then she started moaning and pleading as I slowly teased her slick entrance back and forth over the tip of my thick head, her arms reaching back, winding around to grab me wherever she could in an attempt to gain leverage, to try and pull herself down until she was impaled.

"_Aw fuck!"_ I growled and I slammed her down onto me, thrusting up at the same time so that I was seated balls deep inside of her in one swift motion.

She screamed.

Oh, fuck me, my wolf liked it! _I liked it._ And we both knew she had liked it. She clawed at my thighs beneath her own as she wiggled and attempted to grind and bounce up and down on me. Fuck me I couldn't restrain my wolf if she was going to bait him in this way. _Shit, if this was how she wanted it…_

"Tell me what you want," I snarled in her ear, my restraint on the verge of snapping.

"Ugh…gah…oh…oh…"

"That's not an answer," I groused, sinking my front teeth lightly into her soft earlobe. "Tell me how you want it, Kimmie," I demanded, rolling the heavy weight of her breast roughly in my hand. "Do you want it slow and nice? _Hmm?_ Or fast and hard?"

"Agh…mm…uh…_hard_," she groaned, "_Fas_…"

I was lifting her up by the hips and dropping her back down onto my iron shaft before she could even get the words out. She screamed again and it was all the encouragement my wolf needed. I repeated the action over and over at a sickeningly inhuman pace. I reached around and stroked her and felt her walls convulse around me in record time, squeezing me as her fluids gushed around me, begging my cock to seize its own release.

Somehow I resisted. I ceased all movement until her muscles stopped clenching. Her head fell back heavily against my shoulder. She was a quivering, wailing mess, babbling nonsense and swear words as she turned her head to me, her mouth desperately seeking mine.

"Was I too rough, baby?" I inquired solicitously before nipping her plump lower lip between my teeth and then sucking it better. "Mm…I didn't hurt you, did I?"

She shook her head, murmuring a breathy, "Good kind," that caused my dick to swell and twitch inside of her before shrugging and adding shyly, "and I kinda…_liked it hard_."

_Fuck, she was playing with fire and she didn't even know it. _I was about ready to demonstrate the meaning of hard in a way she wouldn't soon forget. But in lieu of throwing her forward onto the ground on all fours and pounding into her at wolf speed like her words really made me want to do, I fisted my hand a bit forcefully in her hair and drew her head back even further, tilting it to my advantage so that I could really pillage that sweet mouth of hers. By the time I pulled my mouth from hers, her eyes were so glazed over and dark with lust I was pretty sure she wouldn't object to anything I wanted to do involving having her on all fours. But there was something else I wanted first.

"You love my wolf, don't you, baby?" Maybe I was a jerk for asking it now, but I had to make sure. She nodded, moaning and trying to move herself up and down on me once again. I held her steady and she groaned in frustration.

"Please, Paul?" she begged, already ready for more.

_Christ, I loved to hear her beg me like that! _ Something about my wolf's smell had seriously set her off and turned her on this afternoon. And I was right there with her. But I held her still for now.

"Shh…not yet, angel," I told her gently.

_I had to know. I needed to hear it._

So I let my fingers roam down her stomach to just above and all around her wet firm nub, evading where she needed me to be most. I licked along the shell of her ear. "What about me?" I asked, barely above a whisper. "Do you…" I almost choked on my own tongue. _Fuck I was such a pansy!_ I could barely get the words out. "Do you…love _me_?"

She hesitated for a split second before she nodded and I was pretty sure my heart tripped over a beat. I exhaled in relief then assaulted her mouth with my own again.

"I need to hear you _say it_, Kimmie." I squeezed her still against me when she once again tried to move and grind herself onto me where she remained impaled, my dick seeming to swell impossibly larger and harder inside of her sweet confines by the second. This time I restricted her movement entirely. "C'mon, baby, just say it for me?" I coaxed, nibbling my way from her ear to her neck. "_Please?_"

I wasn't sure why I was taking it this far. _What was I trying to prove?_ She'd already given me permission to mark her. She'd already acknowledged she loved me and my wolf.

Jared had repeatedly accused me of manipulating Kim. I knew Sam thought much the same, even if he didn't say it straight out, he felt I was unfairly using sex to influence her emotions. _Was I trying to defend my marking of her to them? _Did it really prove anything anyway to get her to say things in this manner? Or did it just further support their accusation?

I didn't need to explain my actions to anyone where Kim was concerned. She belonged to me. _She had always belonged to me!_ I wanted her; and I would have her. It was that simple.

And yet I found myself wondering what my dad would say when he found out? _Fuck me, why was I thinking about my dad right now? _

Maybe it was because he'd made me promise the other night after he'd met Kim that I'd do my best to do the right thing by her.

_Jesus Christ, this was the right thing by her, damnit!_ Why was I doubting it so much? And why would I ever take my dad's advice on how to treat a woman? He'd lost the girl he loved! He hadn't been man enough to keep her. He was the consummate good guy…the quintessential nice guy destined to always finish last and get the shaft in life.

_Fuck that shit!_ I wasn't going to end up like my dad. I'd spent my life striving to be the opposite of my dad.

But did that make me like my mom? _Inherently selfish?_

_Jesus fucking Christ, this is what came of spending too much time training Jake and listening to the sissy thoughts inside of his head! _

How could I even consider leaving tonight with Sam without marking her as mine first? Jared had been guarding his thoughts from me more than ever. I didn't trust him. He would be after her the moment I crossed over our border. _This was not the time to wuss out!_

I felt her hand slide along the side of my jaw, drawing my attention back to what ultimately mattered most. She was looking at me, a shy smile curving her full lips. Her eyes were so beautiful in the moonlight and I could see her blushing a shade darker as she nodded again and mumbled, "Mm-hmm…y-yeah…I… _do_." Then she shrugged and giggled and made the most goofy, embarrassed-looking expression like I might've expected to see from a twelve-year-old admitting to liking boys for the first time before confirming it again in a whispered, "I do love you, Paul."

I think my heart stopped. My mouth went uncommonly dry and I was unexpectedly at a loss for words. I probably should have said it back. _I should have said something_. But there was nothing. There were no words.

My mind went blank, as if it lacked the wherewithal to process the meaning of her words. And I could only imagine what kind of horrifically sappy expression was finding its way onto my face at that very moment.

Then I saw my angel's face fall. I heard her heart rate spike. Her eyes reflected something akin to dread or panic as they canvassed my features.

_Aw, shit! I realized too late I'd actually been scowling. Oh fuck! _

I forced an awkward, tight smile on my lips as I swallowed, muttering stiffly "Good…that's…_good_."

Good?_** WHAT?**_

"I _mean_…I…uhn…"

_Oh, my fucking god!_ Maybe I could start stuttering and lisping next? Or drop the word '_sorry_' a few hundred times in a row? _What in fuck's sake was wrong with me? _

Her heart was galloping like a racehorse now, no doubt related to the realization she'd just confessed her love to a total douche wad. _Shit! Shit!_ I had no clue how to recover this disastrous crash and burn I'd managed. So I went to work doing what I knew how to do best with a woman…_fuck her_.

My hand stole further down her stomach to the point between her legs where I was buried within her, pressing and rolling insistently as I drew her head back and attacked her lips with a renewed hunger and savagery that wiped that goddamned look of devastation which would likely haunt me for the rest of my fucking useless life right off her face. I rocked her slowly up and down and she responded just like she was supposed to…moaning and arching against my hand until she was begging and soaking it with her fresh juices. And I prolonged it, I made her whimper and plead as I lifted and lowered her painstakingly slowly along my engorged shaft.

_I was so angry_. _So furious with myself!_ But I channeled it into regaining the self-control I'd lost…on regaining control over the whole ruinous situation.

I focused every ounce of my energy on coaxing Kim to the point of climax again and again, only to deny her each time, shushing her groans of frustration and chiding her to be a good girl and be patient. I was methodically ruthless in my quest to work her into such a state of unparalleled peak arousal, she'd be so grateful when ultimately I made her come more forcefully than she'd ever had before, she wouldn't care how hard or how many times my wolf bit her neck.

And I might have been a little _too_ calculating, a little _too_ merciless in my mission as I made her writhe and squirm; babble and whimper.

_But it felt good._ And I felt back in control. _And my wolf liked it_.

_He liked feeling in control of Kim_. So I goaded her until she begged me to fuck her. Then I made her bare her neck to me and beg me to mark her. And that was right about the point that my wolf took over control and pressed her forward to the ground on all fours just the way we wanted her.

We spread her wide and raised her off the ground, roaring and pistoning in and out of her where she was so hot and wet and desperate for us to claim her. I'd never bruised her before like Jared or Embry had. I'd prided myself on always being careful not to leave a mark on her anywhere but her neck up until this point. But I was certain I was leaving marks now as I gripped her hips, squeezed her around the waist and pounded my length balls deep into her again and again, my thighs slapping against her fine ass, her cries of pleasure being the only sound louder than my own primal growls reverberating through the forest.

I felt her walls swiftly tightening around me and I hauled her up against me on her knees, hooking one arm around her waist to support her full weight she was trembling so much now. I used my other hand to grip her by the hair as I drew her neck back to connect with my lips. Her soft skin tasted so sweet as I swirled my tongue over it, sucking it reverently into my mouth.

But then thoughts of possessing her, of being Kim's alpha rapidly assailed my senses as my wolf rejoiced and latched onto the top of her vertebral column with a feral voracity that quite frankly scared the ever loving shit out of me!

_Fucking Taha Aki this was nuts! _

_What if my wolf was simply insane?_ Or completely twisted? _ What was I even fucking doing? _That crazy inner mutt of mine viewed Kimmie, my sweet slip of a girl, as if she was another fucking wolf!

Hell, this was quite possibly the dumbest thing I'd ever done letting my inner wolf lead me down this rose-colored path to fucking sadism in the woods with the only girl I'd ever loved!

_What if he bit her too hard? What if I really hurt her? _

I felt my jaw go slack against her neck. My wolf howled in torment and despair. _ Fuck me I couldn't do it!_

I didn't need to control Kim. I didn't really want to possess her like that. _I just wanted her to love me…enough that she'd never leave me. _

I felt her climaxing, heard her screaming through her orgasm as her muscles clenched me so delightfully it tore a grunt from my chest as I jerked and ground myself spastically up into her. Fucking hell! If I was going to mark her it would have to be now. My own release was imminent.

_I couldn't do it. _

It was with a bittersweet groan of satisfaction combined with anguish that I exploded inside of my precious girl. As carnally exquisite as it was to feel her muscles spasm and choke me and to know that I'd brought her to such a state of bliss, emotionally I'd never felt so fucking impotent before as I swallowed the acrid taste of pure self-loathing over what was likely destined to become the single greatest failing moment of my life.

I'd staked my entire reputation upon the denial of it, but in the final fucking analysis, I was still Kyle Lahote's son. And I'd never hated that fact so much as now as I realized it was that glaring flaw within my make-up that had probably just cost me Kim.

_I was a motherfucking nice guy!_

_I was the loser who would be left behind to forever pine after the one who got away. _

_In spite of all my efforts to be different I was still no better than him; no more of a man than my dad. _

I was so forever fucked.

* * *

><p>"Whoa…um…wait just a sec," I put my finger up to halt Leah's seemingly never ending diatribe and took notice that it was oddly blurry. I was almost halfway through my first glass of rez moonshine and already I was having difficulty keeping up with the conversation. Leah seemed to <em>only<em> want to talk about sex…presumably since she was currently in heat. I might have been mistaken but I could have sworn she'd just told me that she'd slept with Jared at one point in time during high school.

"Did you just say you fucked Jared Cameron?" I asked point blank. _Wow, that had come out way more crass than I'd intended it to. _ But it was rather nice just to get right to the point for a change. It occurred to me I never did much of that now that I thought about it.

"Uh-huh." She nodded easily and took another sip of moonshine. "Didn't you know that?"

I shook my head.

"Oh…_sorry_," she frowned. "Does that upset you?"

I thought about it. I didn't really know how I felt about it actually. At the moment my entire life upset me. So I just shrugged and took another sip of my gasoline. I knew she'd slept with Paul. Between the back and forth comments, innuendos and even the guilty posturing of Paul's grey wolf, I'd already come to terms with that fact. But I still wanted to confirm it.

"You slept with Paul too, right?"

She wrinkled her nose up and winced. "Uh…_yeah_. Sorry, Kim." She shrugged.

"Nah, it's cool," I reassured her. "I'm not even his imprint." Damnit, even in my high state I could tell I sounded like one of those ultra insecure chicks wallowing in self-pity. _Shit, my life fucking sucked_.

It had been quite the awkward walk back to Sam's house from the forest. Well, I hadn't exactly _walked_, Paul had carried me. I wasn't sure I could have walked even if I'd wanted to after all of our intense fornication. It had been a quick walk…er…_carry _rather as we arrived at Sam's already an hour later than the appointed time he and Paul had planned to leave. Sam hadn't seemed upset over it though. In fact, he and Leah had seemed uncharacteristically contented. Leah had later revealed that they'd enjoyed a healthy round of make-up sex while Paul and I were busy in the forest.

"Don't say that!" Leah exclaimed, sloshing her contraband 'mountain dew' all over my living room carpet as she flung her arm straight up in what was meant to be some sort of silencing gesture but managed to look more like a freaky Hitler salute. "You ARE TOO Paul's imprint!" She shouted in her outdoor voice. "Those three cocksucking elders don't know their wives' asses from their vaginas!"

_Oh, my!_ "Um…none of them _have_ wives, Leah," I stated quietly, wrinkling my nose in distaste at the sheer inappropriateness of the topic, yet feeling bound to point it out nonetheless. "Their wives are all uh…all… _deceased_."

She mirrored my wrinkled nose expression. "Oops!" She sloshed more moonshine from her glass as her arm made its sloppy descent. "Well, you get the picture anyway," she muttered, rolling her eyes before downing more of the harsh liquid.

No, I didn't know that I did. I was so fucking mystified by Paul's behavior in the woods. I couldn't stop obsessing and reliving the events in my head. He and his wolf had both comforted and consoled me and I'd felt closer and more connected to them than ever before. And then we'd agreed he would mark me, as he'd told me it would bind us together forever in a manner stronger than an imprint bond.

Amid my coital bliss in the forest, after I'd experienced some of the most intensely arousing and exhilarating of sexual copulations with him yet, he'd prompted me tell him that I loved him. And after I'd said it, not only had he not said it back, he'd looked like he was completely infuriated with me for it!

Then he'd all but attacked me sexually, proceeding to arouse me to the point of torment, cajoling me until I did and said everything he wanted from me. My face flushed with shame as I recalled how he'd literally had me begging him to fuck me and mark me. And when finally he'd seemed satisfied, finally when he was delivering on his promise and giving me the best fucking I'd endured yet, he didn't mark me! _He'd stopped_. He'd sucked and bit into my neck like he had so many times before, but just as the pressure of his jaw was building and I'd sensed the crescendo of anticipated pain was surely imminent, he'd _stopped_.

He'd stopped just short of marking me. I couldn't deny that in the moment a part of me had been tremendously relieved. I'd admittedly been apprehensive about the whole thing. But then when he hadn't done it after all, another part of me had felt like weeping…felt like practically dying.

He'd made all manner of apologies and excuses for why he hadn't been able to go through with it. He'd said he wanted to wait until he was back. Said he didn't think his wolf would take too well to leaving me so soon after such a profoundly binding act. But none of his excuses rang true to my ears.

My mind registered it as a rejection. _He'd changed his mind._ I wasn't his imprint. Perhaps ultimately I'd tasted wrong to his wolf? He was wavering as to whether he really wanted me. After all, how could he be sure about shackling himself to the girl Really Old Quil had deemed the wrong one?

"I mean, Paul's clearly some kind of pussy master magician, right? Boy knows his shit," Leah pointed out judiciously.

_What? What were we even talking about now?_ I'd totally spaced out on our conversation. Clearly we were still on the topic of sex though and apparently she thought I wanted to hear her sexual comparison analysis of Jared and Paul's respective skill-sets!

_Geez, I knew the moonshine had been a bad idea!_ But Leah was so proud of herself for finding her dad's secret stash and she was in this oddly giddy, celebratory yet venting mood tonight and had wanted to let loose.

"But then Jared _does_ have this vagina whisperer quality that sort of sneaks up on you," she mused, biting her lip in contemplation.

_Oh, this was indeed an odd conversation. _

She shrugged. "I mean, they're both pretty adequate fucks, Kim. That's not the problem. The problem is putting up with them the rest of the time, you know, when their dicks aren't in you."

As Leah continued to ramble I formulated a plan as to how I could be in Los Angeles before Paul even got back from his wolf trip with scary Sam on Saturday. I would start packing just as soon as Leah either stopped talking or passed out…whichever came first.

By midnight Leah was crashed out in my dad's room and I was drunk dialing Alison. She was beyond excited to hear from me as she'd been dying to talk to me about how I felt about her new cousin Embry who she was super anxious to meet. She said she was honored I'd chosen to call her the first time I'd gotten myself "shitfaced" as she put it. She listened attentively as I rambled on about how I'd lost my virginity to the biggest man-whore in the Pacific Northwest, squealing her excitement and shock when I told her I'd had sex in the woods earlier that evening in fact, and had gotten myself fingered in a janitor's closet on my first day back at school no less.

She seemed to be impressed and said something to the effect that I'd virtually attained superhero status for having achieved so many orgasms during my very first string of sexual experiences. She asked so many questions about Paul I couldn't keep up. I didn't know the answers to half of her questions anyhow…which made me feel even worse. And then she asked about Jared and what had happened to my feelings for him. I told her Jared had been trying to sleep with me too since I'd gotten back and that he'd almost dry humped me to orgasm against the wall in my living room earlier in the week before climbing through my bedroom window to try and finger me too.

At that point she started laughing hysterically, which prompted me to giggle as well until I was a laughing, sobbing mess. I couldn't tell her what had happened with the embarrassing, aborted marking episode since I couldn't tell her about the fact that La Push was swarming with vampires and werewolves. So I just told her I was scared and confused because everything had happened so fast and I didn't know what the hell I thought about anything or what I even wanted anymore. I told her I just wanted to come live with her and Bennett, Aunt Susie and Uncle Todd until I could figure things out and get my head on straight.

She shrieked with delight and announced it the very best idea I'd ever had. Then she grumbled something about Bennett having gone MIA since leaving for the camping trip he'd taken the week before I'd left, only to call yesterday and cryptically announce he was moving to some shack in the mountains of Sierra Madre. It didn't sound like Bennett and I could tell Alison was hurt, even though she said she was thrilled to finally get the coveted back house that Bennett would now be vacating. She squealed something about how fortuitous it was that I was having my breakdown just when the back house was becoming available so that we could both move in there together. I agreed and tried to sound excited.

Before we got off the phone she'd booked me a ticket for Saturday afternoon using her never ending supply of frequent flyer miles which I guess came of touring Europe every time she needed 'down time' or a 'personal reflection' vacation. She rattled off a list of recommended homeopathic pills and herbal remedies which I had absolutely no way in hell of accessing from the small general store in La Push, much less after midnight, in order to stave off the massive hangover she assured me I would have in the morning. So I settled for taking two aspirin before I climbed into bed.

* * *

><p>I awoke to the sound of what seemed to be glass objects crashing and breaking. It was coming from the kitchen…<em>it was always coming from the kitchen<em>. My breath caught in my throat and I was momentarily paralyzed by the fear suddenly coursing through my veins. _Oh, god, what now? What had I done this time? What was she angry about?_ I was so frickin tired. My head was starting to pound from all the banging. I felt tears pricking my eyes just as I heard the muffled sound of pathetic sobbing coming from the other side of my room. _What? _ It seemed to be coming from the closet. I quickly arose and scrambled across my small bedroom to investigate. As soon as I opened my closet door, a sense of relief mixed with supreme irritation washed over me as I knew at once I was dreaming.

Huddled in the corner of the darkened closet lit only by the moonlight was little Kimmie, sobbing her eyes out while packing her clothes into a small pink _Beauty and the Beast_ backpack. I instantly felt annoyed to the point of nausea at the reminder of yet another all too familiar scenario which had played out again and again during my mother's reign of terror. I rubbed my eyes, hoping it would cause me to wake up. It didn't. The crashing noises from the kitchen grew louder and more violent sounding. Kimmie started shaking and sobbing even harder. _God, but she was irritating!_ Damnit, my head really was starting to hurt from all the ruckus.

_Wake up, wake up, wake up, damnit! _

"It's not real, Kimmie!" I snapped angrily at her. I didn't have time to indulge these nightmares. I knelt down closer to her level on the ground. "She's _dead_," I reminded her harshly. "Fucking dead, alright? She's _never_ coming back, understand? So just quit it with the stupid packing and help me wake up!"

She stopped. Her big wet eyes looked up at me in obvious confusion as her little shaky fingers swiped at them behind her glasses. I rolled my eyes and couldn't help but add insult to injury by commenting, "Like you ever had the guts to run away anyway."

She shook her head. "But we **have to** this time!" she insisted, the urgency evident in her quivering voice. "It's the only chance we've got left."

I rubbed my eyes some more. _Why wasn't I awake yet?_ _Jesus, this was super annoying! _My head felt like it was about to explode.

She kept talking, plotting her childish nonsense out loud as she resumed her packing. "We can still marry Jared…run away with him. He wants us now. He'll help us."

I groaned inwardly. "But I don't love Jared like that anymore, Kimmie. I…_I love Paul_," I whispered, more to myself than to little Kimmie.

"But Jared's so _nice_!" Little Kimmie argued. "So _perfect_! And his mommy puts sweet little notes and cards in his lunch box every day," she pointed out. "Paul doesn't even have a mommy! He's no better off than we are."

Wow…_was Paul right?_ Had that been most of what I'd ever seen in Jared?

"Don't you see what's happening?" Little Kimmie beseeched, "She's stronger than both of us now. I can't stop her anymore."

_What the fuck was she talking about?_ Goddamnit, my head couldn't take any more of this nonsense.

"It's all my fault," she lamented. "I didn't mean to let it slip out…but she saw the nurse lady and I remembered. And now she _knows_. She **knows** about the note! And she's so angry…I can't hold her back anymore." She shook her head, more fat tears springing to her eyes, clouding up her glasses. "I can't stop her. She's gonna tear our whole house down. We've gotta get out before it's too late!"

She was acting so hysterical I wanted to slap her now. She wasn't even making any sense. _What note? When was our mom mad about a note? What crazy episode was she referring to? _

"She's DEAD!" I shouted, holding my throbbing head with both hands. "**We** found her. _We saw her!_ She was never resuscitated. Mommy died at the hospital. It's OVER!"

Little Kimmie tilted her head in confusion at me as the sounds of more crashing and glass breaking from the kitchen assaulted my throbbing head. "But I'm not talking about mommy," she stated simply. "I know mommy is dead." A weird chill ran through me then as I heard more glass shatter in the distance. "I'm talking about the _other_ Kimmie…_the wrong one_…the one we locked away."

_What? What did she mean, the other Kimmie? _Great, now my own subconscious was calling me the wrong one too?

I stood up slowly and turned towards the door of my bedroom. "Wait!" Little Kimmie called to me. "Don't let her know I'm packing!" she pleaded. I didn't look back; I kept moving towards the door. "She'll be so mad!" Kimmie warned as I turned the knob. I knew I had to see who…_what_…was in the kitchen making all the racket. "She thinks the grey wolf belongs to her…she says we can't leave him!" she shouted after me in desperation.

But I was already halfway down the hallway. _Why hadn't I woken up yet? _ I entered the kitchen to find another pint-sized Kimmie…_apparently tearing the whole place apart!_ The kitchen floor was littered with broken glasses and dishes…another familiar scene from my childhood. Only it was worse, because it looked like little angry Kimmie had broken almost every window in the house as well.

_Damn, little angry Kimmie had a good arm on her too!_ She was busy now winding up and throwing cans of tomato sauce into the wall with the force and speed of a major league pitcher. "Where the fuck is it?" she shocked me by suddenly asking, her head snapping to me.

"Where's the fucking note?" she demanded. _Little angry Kimmie had a mouth on her too. _ "I wanna know what that bitch said!" she practically growled.

I hadn't the slightest notion what the devil she was talking about. "Ugh! Can you please just stop throwing cans and making so much noise?" I asked her dismissively, not in the mood to indulge her drama. "My head's about to explode."

She laughed at me. Then she plucked another can from the cupboard and threw it into the wall with so much force it sounded like cannon fire. And it impacted like a cannon fire…knocking the wall down to reveal our backyard.

"Did you think I'd never find out?" she asked stonily. "Did you think I'd never have my day?"

I rubbed my fists against my eyes. _Okay, it was seriously time for me to wake up! _This was just irritating and stupid now. I made a dream promise to myself never to drink moonshine again.

Another loud can explosion sounded and I opened my eyes to see the back wall coming down, revealing our neighbor's house and the forest in the distance. _Oh, god, my head! It felt like it was being hit with a hammer. _

"I'm talking to you!" a clear female voice rang out with authority. I looked and saw a grown woman standing where little angry Kimmie had previously been. _It was me!_ And yet it wasn't me. It was an adult Kimmie…the same age as me, the same hair length and build as me…but she was _different_…and holy shit…she was _beautiful!_ She looked confident and self-assured. In a strange way she reminded me of Leah.

_And she looked really, really fucking pissed! _

"You!" she pointed her finger at me accusingly. "**You** let this happen!"

I just shook my head…_I was so lost_. I was still caught up and stumped by how gorgeous she was. How could she look just like me and yet look totally different? How could she be so stunning and I wasn't? _How the hell did that work?_ It was like looking into a mirror and seeing my exact image as a completely different person...a better version of me.

_Why did she get to be in the beautiful people's club and not me?_

"You've been letting a scared little girl who hides in her closet make decisions that affect _all of us!_" she shouted at me, the most incredulous look on her face like I was the world's greatest idiot.

_Fuck my head hurt! _

"And it stops here! Do you understand? It fucking ends _right now_," she swore.

"You're not real…and this is just a dream," I mumbled. "I'm gonna wake up now."

She was so angry. But beyond the anger, there was hurt. I saw her eyes glass over and brim with moisture. Again she reminded me of Leah. _Why did she get to look so good when she was crying? _

"I was _never_ wrong," she told me softly, with conviction. "Nothing I did…nothing I felt was _ever_ wrong. _You_ did this to us. You didn't want to know…you didn't want to feel the things I felt…the things I had to feel for both of us!" Her voice dropped to a whisper, "But you're going to feel them now."

"You're making my head hurt," I replied rather stupidly. _I didn't like her_. She made me feel inferior…like a dumb kid. _And why did she get to be the pretty one if we both looked the same? _This made no sense.

_And she was causing my head to throb!_

She snorted. "You're fucking right I am." She chuckled and plucked another can of tomato sauce from the shelf. She tossed it straight up lightly and caught it easily a few times while she studied me…an oddly blank, emotionless look on her face as she did so. "That's my warning knock," she advised after a pause. "It means, get the fuck out of the way. I'm coming out."

I squinted at her as I felt my brow creasing in confusion. Shit she was bizarre. _Why wasn't I awake yet!_

She grimaced slightly. "Don't make that face. You look constipated."

_Huh? _

Before I could process her rude comment…_or anything at all_…she wound up again and released another can…_straight at my head!_

I awoke in a cold sweat to a migraine headache so violent it had me rushing to the bathroom and heaving into the toilet for the rest of the night. I took aspirin, but it only made me more nauseous while doing nothing for my head pain. I ate some crackers to try to settle my stomach. It didn't work. I threw up again.

I went back and forth between the bathroom and my bedroom so many times during the night I finally settled on grabbing a blanket and pillow and curling up inside of the tub. The cold porcelain felt good against my heated skin and I wound up tossing the blanket off and passing out for about an hour before my blasted alarm clock sounded that it was time to get up for school.

I tried to get up and get ready but I was so weak and any movement whatsoever seemed to make me want to hurl again. An hour later I was still curled up in the fetal position in the tub when Embry came to collect me and take me to school. He laughed his ass off when he realized Leah and I had been drinking moonshine and teased me mercilessly before heading out, promising to come back to check on me after school.

Leah awoke hours later, suffering her own hangover headache. I was still huddled in the bathroom. Her first reaction to my unspeakable head pain was to literally jump up and down in excitement before clutching her own pounding temple. She took my migraine as proof that I was indeed Paul's imprint and a part of the pack.

She hung out for most of the day, fetching me water and crackers, holding my hair and rubbing my back as I barfed. She draped old blankets and towels over the windows to block out whatever light the blinds didn't. She finally left when Embry came over after school, rambling apologies and regrets for being committed to helping her mother by volunteering at the clinic that evening.

Embry was poor company for a migraine as it turned out. He was jonesing like some imprinted crack addict coming off of his fucking Bella high. He told me all about how he'd deduced during the meeting with the elders that he'd in fact imprinted on Bella Swan.

_Shocker of the century! Who would have fucking guessed the way he'd always carried on about her?_

I really wanted to be happy for him, he was so excited. But I felt so damned awful and his imprinted bliss was more salt in my wound. And so I told him about what Really Old Quil had said…that I wasn't either Paul or Jared's imprint. He laughed and dismissed it, saying Really Old Quil had been insane for as long as he'd remembered and that I shouldn't take anything he'd said seriously. He said he was positive from seeing in Paul's head that I was clearly Paul's imprint. But with that goofy perma-grin he had plastered on his face as he bounced about on his heels speaking incessantly of his love for Bella until I wanted to vomit just for the excuse of drowning him out with the toilet flusher, it was seriously hard for me to give merit to anything he said.

And he kept sniffing at me like a weirdo, informing me several times that I smelled funny. _Yeah!_ _I'd been puking all day! _ Had imprinting killed half his brain cells too?

As evening set in and I was becoming convinced Old Old Quil had put some wicked hex on me and that all of the spirit warriors were now conspiring against me, Embry received an alarming phone call from Bella. She was calling from the ER at Forks Hospital where she'd just gotten several stitches in her hand after tripping over her own foot and falling down a small flight of stairs at the rear entrance to _Newton Olympic Outfitters_.

_Yesss! _Maybe it was evil of me to be happy about her misadventure, but it was just the blessed excuse I needed to convince Embry to rush to her side and leave me the fuck alone to wallow in peace! After he left I must've fallen asleep for a tiny spell I realized as I awakened to the sound of wretchedly loud banging at the front door. I found that I had somehow passed out gracelessly in the middle of the hallway in between vomiting episodes.

My head hurt so much I could barely stand. "Coming," I whisper shouted as I weaved and stumbled my way to the front door. If whoever was on the other side didn't stop banging my head surely would explode. I fumbled with the locks as I felt another wave of nausea wash over me. As I turned the knob with my right hand, my left hand clamped tightly over my mouth and I had to haul ass back down the darkened hallway to the bathroom before I accidently threw up on my unknown visitor.

I was hovered over the toilet violently puking up stomach acid and the few measly crackers I'd eaten earlier. God, I was so wretchedly miserable. I felt large, warm hands rub over my back soothingly. Gentle fingers carefully gathered and held my heavy, long hair out of the way.

_Paul? Was it Paul?_ My stomach somersaulted in excitement, causing me to upchuck again. It didn't smell like Paul…although I wasn't able to smell much with my head buried in the toilet surrounded by my own vomit.

A warm hand pressed tissues into mine. _Was it Embry?_

I started to cry again I felt so terrible. So lost and alone. Knowing it was at least one of the pack made me feel instantly better, even if also more emotional. _Had Embry sent Jake over to check on me?_

I raised my head once the nausea had subsided and my eyes fell upon Jared's beautiful, concerned features. "Aw, Kimmie," he commiserated, shaking his head. "C'mere, sweetie." He pulled me onto his lap and I sobbed against his chest while he held me and shushed me. I was suddenly even more overcome with emotion because it was Jared and not Jake. I was so happy it was Jared and I clung to him with the small amount of energy I had left.

"It's gonna be okay," he kissed my crown. "I brought you something." He set me gently down onto the tile. "Just wait right here a minute, okay?" I nodded, sniffling.

After he left the bathroom I heard him rummaging in the kitchen, opening cabinets and turning the faucet on. I held my head. Even that noise was too much right now. He returned with a glass of water and presented me with a round, orange pill. "Take this, its prescription strength for migraines."

I shook my head. "But Leah said your mom's migraine pills don't work for her." My eyes widened as I realized what I'd just said. Jared just busted up laughing.

"Sorry," I croaked stupidly.

"S'okay," he shook his head, still grinning widely. "I know Leah's probably tried every pill in my mom's bathroom cabinet. But it so happens this didn't come from my mom's bathroom medicine cabinet." He held it close to my lips, waiting for me to open my mouth. "Please? Just take it for me, Kim." His big brown eyes begged as he added, "It's so hard for me to see you in pain like this." I opened my mouth and let him place the pill on my tongue. He held the glass to my lips and I swallowed it down with a gulp of water.

"What is it?" I asked like an idiot after the fact.

"Relpax, 40 milligrams," he informed, holding the water to my lips again and encouraging me to drink.

I nodded, even though that information had meant absolutely nothing to me.

"It works fast. It'll probably make you drowsy, so we should get you ready for bed, okay?"

I nodded. "If I run a bath for you can you manage it by yourself?" he asked, tucking my hair behind my ear. I nodded again. "Good," he smiled. Jared had always had such a beautiful smile. I was already starting to feel better.

Jared brought me towels and a fresh change of sleep clothes. I managed a quick, cool bath, as I was still uncomfortably hot. I definitely had to be running some kind of a fever. By the time I'd changed into my sleep shorts and tank and scoured my tongue and teeth, admittedly my head was feeling a lot better already. And I was definitely drowsy.

Jared was waiting on the other side of the door as I exited the bathroom. He helped me to my room and tucked me into bed. Then he sat on the side of it, smiling sweetly down at me as my eyelids grew so heavy I could no longer hold them open. I managed a whispered "thank you" before I succumbed to their weight.

"You're welcome, honey," he murmured as his warm lips brushed across my cheekbone. "I'm just relieved you're feeling better." I felt the very tips of his fingers dance ever so gently down the midline of my forehead and across the bridge of my nose repeatedly. I hummed my approval, far too tired to speak, but not wanting him to stop.

He didn't. His magical fingers moved on to press and massage points along my brow bone. _Jared Cameron was a saint! _ He was my best friend in the world right at this very moment and I felt like telling him I loved him for taking my horrid headache away. But I was already halfway to dreamland I was so tired from not sleeping much in the last 24 hours. I couldn't muster up the energy to say anything, so I just hummed in appreciation again.

It seemed a moment later I felt his hot breath against my ear. "I'll stay just until you fall asleep, sweetheart," his deep throaty whisper tingled against my neck. His fingers were massaging my scalp now. I didn't even remember when they'd moved from my forehead.

Somewhere in my drowsy state the thought of him leaving caused me unparalleled panic. This was the best I'd felt in the last 24 hours. I forced my eyes to open as wide as I could manage. I wanted to say "no" but all I managed was a petulant, whiny groan.

He got the message though. He chuckled, "Then I'll sleep on the couch," he capitulated. I let my eyes drift shut again. "Don't worry, honey," he breathed, his full lips pressing to my temple, "you're gonna be okay now, I promise."

**A/N – Nobody panic, please! Keep in mind I'm extremely aware of the fact Notashamedtobe will hunt me down and beat me, not to mention withhold Paul penis if I let Kimmie shag Jared. And in case you were wondering, the Sam/Leah smutty outtake takes place whilst Paul & Kim are playing in the dirt this chapter. (Which explains Leah's improved mood.)**

**The next chapter contains a LOT of major events, including wolf-boys battling it out and jumping rank, two fursplosions and an imprint. Hopefully I've outlined the next chapter better than I did this one and it doesn't end up as three enormous chapters under the same title…**_**because that would be lame. **_** This is also me setting you up for the fact it could take a few weeks to bang out the next update amid the craziness of the season. **

**Happy holidays, everyone! Thanks so much for reading my story, for your fabulous support and "favorites" and for all of your wonderfully thoughtful and witty reviews! :D **


	22. Chapter 22 Rise of the Wrong Wolf

**Chapter 22 – Rise of the Wrong Wolf**

**A/N: This chapter's long, you might want to grab a latte. No, Kim is not pregnant and Jared did not drug her. He gave her exactly what he said he did, a prescription medication for migraines. Bad migraines can make you puke your guts up. If you didn't know that, consider yourself lucky. ;) Thanks for all the reviews, favorites & alerts. (And a shout out and hugs to my anonymous French reader & to willel for your awesome reviews which I'm unable to respond to.)**

I was in the forest, making my way through the pitch black of night, the tiny sliver of moonlight having been all but obstructed by the dense treetops. I wondered why my feet didn't make any sound. I searched in vain for the fated spot where the felled log was. I missed him. _I wanted him_. My pace quickened as I heard girlish giggling through the thicket to my right just ahead. I stopped in my tracks as I came upon little Kimmie, running in circles in a playful game of chase with Jared's beautiful chestnut-colored wolf. Finally she stopped running and he dropped down to the ground before her, nudging her playfully with his nose, tickling her belly and causing her to giggle harder in the process. She wound her arms around his neck and hugged him sweetly as he bent fully to her level. She looked so safe and content as she stroked his coat of fur with her little hands.

More feminine giggles rang out to my left. They were less childlike but every bit as playful. I saw a full-grown "wrong" Kimmie being chased by Paul's grey wolf. They stalked one another mischievously, Kimmie matching the grey wolf's advances with her own lithe movements that were the mirror opposite of his. They almost appeared to be dancing. Her hair was wild and her face flushed with humor and anticipation at their game. She growled back at him impishly as she continued to evade his pursuit. Then she stopped. She cocked her head to the side and crooked her finger, summoning him closer, looking every bit the seductive wood nymph. _Where did she get that confidence?_ I puzzled again over why she got to look so beautiful. My head snapped back and forth between the two sets of wolves and Kimmies, marveling at the differences and feeling oddly jealous of them both. Then the Kimmies looked at me, and they disappeared.

The wolves phased to human form and suddenly two buck-naked He-Men were approaching me from either side. They weren't laughing or playful though. Their eyes were intense, lust-filled. They each beckoned me but I couldn't move. My body was frozen in place. I tried to speak but no sound would come out. Again my head whipped back and forth between the two as they continued to approach. I felt their heat as they circled me. I was sweltering. They didn't speak, just kept growling and purring at me. It seemed they were only capable of making animal noises. I began to pant soundlessly as they sandwiched me between their heated bodies and I felt my own arousal rapidly building. I realized I was also completely naked as I felt their fiery skin rub against my flesh, their rock hard erections pressing into my back and my stomach.

I grew hotter as I felt them everywhere. Two sets of hands, lips and tongues all exploring me at once. They said nothing, but their continuous feral growls turned me on more than any words they might've spoken. They drew my face back and forth between them, taking turns exploring my mouth as insistent hands and deft fingers worked between my legs, coaxing my sodden folds open as two fingers entered my core, one from the front and the other from the rear, stroking me in unison. I came on their hands as Jared bit the side juncture of my neck and shoulder from the rear and Paul bit the other side from the front. The painful double pierce of their canines burned my flesh and I tried to scream, but nothing came out. My whole body felt like it had been lit on fire as I convulsed against their hands and I awoke with a start in my bed, my body overly heated and slick with perspiration, my underwear soaked between my legs against my throbbing sex.

I immediately ran to the bathroom and jumped in the shower. I turned the water to cool, and then to cold. I was burning up. I had to have a fever. But strangely, I was feeling better…really good actually. My head no longer hurt. _And I'd never felt so horny before in all my life_.

I masturbated in the shower…because it seemed like a good idea…_the only idea really_. But it didn't alleviate the increasing tension of the want building between my legs. I did it again, ultimately bringing myself to orgasm multiple times in a matter of minutes under the cold shower jets. I thought about the dream I'd had. I thought about the intensely primal sex I'd had less than two days ago in the woods with Paul. _Shit!_ Now I was even more aroused. _How had I thought I could ever leave Paul and go to Los Angeles? _ I would have to call Alison first thing. There was no way I could get on that flight this afternoon feeling the need I had for him now between my legs.

_Christ, maybe I was hungry?_ I hadn't eaten much in the last two days and something smelled delicious in the other room. I toweled off then threw on a pair of running shorts and a fresh tank. They seemed shorter and tighter on me than they had been a week ago. I must've accidentally shrunk them in the wash.

_Why was the house so hot?_ Was the furnace malfunctioning? I went to the kitchen to investigate the smell but there was nothing tasty to be found in there. I tracked the smell into the living room and almost choked on my own drool at the sight of a half-naked Jared sprawled out on his back on my couch, gently snoring. My heart sank and soared at once as I realized he was the source of the delectable scent. He didn't smell like home as Paul did, didn't smell nearly as intoxicating…yet his scent seemed good enough to eat with a spoon in this very moment.

I approached his sleeping form slowly, cautiously. I hadn't meant to get so close but my legs seemed to have a will of their own…a will that was being directed by the expanding coil of desire within my belly. He was beautiful in slumber. And he was clad only in his boxer briefs. _Shit!_ My clitoris fluttered and I had the most outrageous compulsion to lick every inch of his exposed skin.

There he was…the boy I had wanted my whole life, the one I had coveted for as long as I could remember. He was here in my house. He was half-naked on my couch. And he must've been dreaming about something pleasant because I noted the bulge in his boxers. The ache between my legs intensified. I think I moaned. The next thing I knew I was bending down over him next to the couch, my itchy finger reaching out to gingerly stroke the dark lock of hair that had fallen against his temple.

He awoke suddenly, clasping both of my wrists within his iron grasp and yanking me forward and down so that I landed atop his hard wall of a chest with a force that stole the breath from my lungs. His sleepy eyes were startled, bewildered. And then they registered panic as he croaked, "Fuck, Kim, I'm so sorry! Shit, are you okay?"

I nodded, feeling myself flush with embarrassment…and something else. He didn't immediately release my wrists. He frowned. His nostrils flared and he breathed deeply. "Kim?" He looked slightly concerned, or perhaps overwhelmed. His eyes darkened with the dilation of his pupils as he stared at me, unmoving.

I swallowed. He was the boy I'd wanted for most of my life. And he was lying beneath me. His body was so hard, so masculine. He smelled so good, so strong…so…_male_. I could feel the strength of his muscles subtly rippling and bunching involuntarily beneath me where I was soft and pliant…and feverishly hot. He was still holding my wrists gently captive in his large hands.

My head dipped inexorably lower until it hovered just above his. My warm lips brushed against his hot ones. I froze. _What was I doing? _I did it again. _And then again! _

He didn't kiss me back. He didn't stop me either. He didn't move. He barely breathed. His heavy lidded eyes were incredulous, puzzled; yet possessed of hope. _I was a horrible person._

"I'm sorry," I whispered against his soft lips. Then I kissed him again. "I'm so sorry," I breathed. _What the hell was wrong with me? _I followed it up with an "I love Paul," as I flicked my tongue across his lower lip.

He nodded minutely, murmuring "Mmhmm" as he opened his mouth slightly, allowing me to deepen the kiss. Still he barely kissed me back, allowing me to take the lead as I tentatively slipped my tongue inside and explored his mouth. He tasted surprisingly sweet on my tongue and a soft moan escaped me. This was a completely new experience for me. I felt oddly…_powerful_ to be the one initiating.

"We should stop," I gasped for air.

"Mmhmm…whatever you want, sweetie," he groaned against my lips. I felt his fingertips ghost up and down my back. They barely touched me, and then they stopped; making me yearn to feel more.

"I'm sorry," I apologized stupidly again. "I…I'm… horrible."

_Holy shit, why the hell was I so crazy aroused? What was happening to me?_

He shook his head. "You're not." He shifted and casually lifted his hips slightly into me. _Oh, lord!_ My legs slid further open of their own accord. "Not doing anything wrong, honey," he murmured against my lips.

"I should stop," I mumbled breathily as I kept kissing him. His sweet, full lips were suddenly too tempting to resist.

"You're in control, Kim. You can do whatever you want."

"But Paul…" I began.

"_Doesn't own you_," he growled against my lips as he raised his hips ever so gently into me again. I swallowed another moan as my lips devoured his and my tongue stroked inside his yielding mouth.

_Goddamnit, why was I so horny? _ _What in holy hell was wrong with me? _ My legs had somehow opened completely and I found that I was now wantonly straddling his hips, his hard, huge erection pressed squarely against me where I was already throbbing with need. I shut my eyes. I focused on breathing.

_I had to stop this. _

"He loves me…" I whispered. My eyes were still closed. Paul hadn't said it, but I knew he did.

"He does," Jared confirmed, squirming a little beneath me again so that I could feel his hard length rub into me. I gave in to temptation and shifted my pelvis, ever so slightly grinding myself against him. The pressure was swiftly building to an unbearable level of tension.

"He's loved me since he was ten," I continued breathlessly, not sure who I was hoping to convince.

"I know," he agreed, running his fingers gently through my hair, giving me goose-bumps.

"He _always _wanted me…even before he thought he imprinted," I stressed, my resolve strengthening as I breathed deeply, my eyes squeezed shut as I visualized Paul in my mind. I really did want Paul…I _knew_ I did! Even though I was hurt and confused and had contemplated running away in my drunken state the other night. I wanted Paul more than ever; of this I was certain. _Wasn't I?_

But Paul wasn't here. He wasn't the one who was hard and ready between my legs. _Fuck!_ I didn't dare look at Jared. For some reason he looked better than he ever had to me before. He smelled better too.

"I know, sweetie," he sighed. "And it must have been so hard for him," he sympathized. "All those years…all that time; watching you…_wanting_ _you_…while forcing himself to be with all those other girls."

I swallowed. He let that message hang in the air as his fingertips gently ghosted up my arms, circling my shoulders and then tracing down my spine.

"All that time…_all_ _those girls_…" he murmured quietly.

I stopped breathing. You could've heard a pin if it'd dropped then on my living room carpeting. That was it, the fact that had been quietly nagging me all along about Paul…gnawing away at me from the inside out and causing me so much inner turmoil and doubt.

"Can't imagine how he did it." His fingers grazed idly along my hips, down the sides and then up the backs of my bare thighs. Just this small action caused more moisture to flood between my legs. "He must be some sort of a masochist." He rubbed his nose alongside mine as he shifted minutely again, managing to lift his hips up into my weak spot until I whimpered.

_Shit._

"What I can't figure out is **why** he did it." His breath smelled sweet as it fanned across my face. I felt his big hands graze delicately up the curve of my ass, past the small of my back and along my spine back up to cradle my head. I was panting now. As the long fingers of one hand raked delightfully against my scalp, fisting my hair firmly and tugging my head to the side, the other hand gently swept my heavy veil of dark hair out of the way, fully exposing my neck to him.

"I'm just so sorry you've had to choose between the idiot who never noticed you… and the one who always did…" his lips brushed against my ear, "_yet never claimed you_."

_Oh, God…no no no…_

"And why didn't he, Kimmie?" He nipped my earlobe gently. "_Hmm?_ Why didn't he claim you years ago?" His mouth led a trail of kisses from my earlobe to my neck. My heart rate picked up speed as his mouth latched onto my pulse point, kissing and sucking gently.

_Oh Fuck!_

"_Why hasn't he claimed you now?"_ he murmured against my neck as he continued to lick and suck his way down to the juncture of my shoulder. "Why would he still leave you open…**wide** open…for anyone else to come along and claim as their own?" I felt his teeth pull gently at the skin of my neck as his lips became firmer, his tongue sucking harder, drawing a breathy, uneven moan from me despite my ever increasing sense of panic now.

I felt his firm grasp on my scalp as he steadily increased the pressure of his mouth on my neck, his hard as granite muscles flexing and shifting beneath me, his huge erection pressing squarely into me where I was so wet and pulsating with need, and I realized with dread just what a vulnerable position I'd inadvertently put myself in. _And still I was hopelessly aroused. _ I knew I'd never have the strength to fight him off physically if he chose to mark me now, but beyond that, I wasn't sure I had the wherewithal to even ask him to stop…to even _want_ him to stop…I was so desperate for a release now.

And in that moment of realization I hated myself, truly hated myself… for always being so fucking **weak**.

As I felt my eyes welling up he released my neck and drew my head back so he could see me. He cupped my face between his palms, his thumbs wiping at my tears as his dark brown eyes filled with such tenderness, such concern, it made me cry harder. "_Aw_, angel," he bit his full lower lip as his brow furrowed. "Don't be scared." He shook his head. He looked so utterly heartbroken. "Please…_please _don't ever be afraid of **me**, sweetie," he pleaded. "Jesus, Kim, I'm not gonna bite you…or god forbid _mark you_ just because you're caught up in a moment of passion," he assured me. "Fuck, I'd _never_ take unfair advantage of you like that," he swore, looking completely horrified that I'd ever suspect him of such a thing.

I nodded as the tears continued to fall. Now I just felt plain embarrassed. He cradled me against him, tucking me into his warm shoulder. "I'd never try to control you…to _manipulate_ you like that," he assured, stroking my hair and rubbing circles into my lower back. "_I'm not Paul, honey_," he whispered quietly, clearly.

"I only want to be what you want me to be," he said gently as his lips pressed against my crown. "I just want to give you whatever you need." I wasn't sure what to make of his words, but they felt genuine. He sounded sincere. And I let myself relax and snuggle closer against him…allowed myself to take comfort from him.

_Jared really was a good guy_. _He'd saved my life...twice. And he'd taken my horrid migraine away_.

_He smelled good too_. I sniffed repeatedly at his shoulder, trying not to be too obvious, but likely failing. His smell was calming, oddly reassuring…_sexy_…_alluring_. _Shit, what the devil was wrong with me?_ He didn't smell good the way Paul did to me, but for whatever reason, right now it was enough…enough to make me hopelessly wet. _Enough to make me want him with an ache that was undeniable_.

"Better now?" he asked with an odd half smile as he lifted my head back up to look at him. I nodded. His eyes had darkened even more and he was breathing deeply. _Oh, lord, of course he could smell me! Shit this was all kinds of embarrassing. _

He swallowed then licked his lips nervously as his eyes searched mine. "Kim…I…I don't think you're quite yourself right now, baby. Maybe I should tuck you back into bed and go check on Embry and Bella?" he offered. "And even though Jacob and Quil have both taken to this wolf thing like born naturals, still…I really ought to go check on them too…" he rambled.

_Was he nervous? Was __**I**__ making him nervous?_ _Oh, god, he really was the good guy in all this. _

"I'm sorry." My voice was thick with emotion. "I don't know why I'm acting this way," I tried to explain. And then I started babbling like a total idiot. "I think…I mean, I… _know_ I love Paul. I just feel so out of control right now. Everything's so crazy…I don't know where I stand with anything…I don't know what's going to happen next. What if Paul leaves me?" I could hear the insecure girl alarm in my own voice. I hated it. "Now he wants me but what if Billy and Old Quil are right and he'll imprint on someone else? What if I should leave him because it's the right thing to do? I feel like I have no control over anything anymore…"

Jared groaned and shut his eyes and I belatedly realized as I'd been nervously revealing all of my innermost fears and anxieties to him I'd also been unabashedly grinding my wet, throbbing crotch up against the length of his erection.

"But you do, Kimmie," he gasped out, "_Oh, fuck!_ You have **all** the control…you hold all the power…" he winced. "Aghh…god, baby. That smell you're giving off…" he growled, "_fuuuck!_"

His hands grasped my hips firmly, holding them still as he struggled to gain control of his breathing. "Goddamn it, baby, that smell's enough to make a saint bend you over and have his way with you right now." His fingers flexed and released against my hips as he breathed deeply in and out.

"Sorry," I breathed, shrugging sheepishly as to my great disgrace my hips struggled against his hold like a force all their own, still begging for friction. "Sorry…" I mumbled lamely again.

He shook his head. "S'okay, honey. I just know that's not what you want though, is it?" He arched his brow and looked pointedly at me. "You don't really want me or anyone else to bend you over and have their way with you right now, _do you?_"

I moaned like a hussy at the image his words conjured up. He smiled, and then he rubbed his nose against mine and whispered "You know…I may not have noticed you as early as Paul did. But I've been paying attention long enough since I have to know right now you're so tired of being overpowered. Of being told what to do. So tired of being fragile, _weak_… aren't you, Kimmie?"

I bit my lip and nodded, feeling tears sting my eyes again at the truth of his words. _Shit, he was good. _

"Tired of having big, overbearing werewolves try to protect you like you're their helpless cub, hmm?"

I nodded again. _Oh, damnit, he was so right. _

"I don't think you're helpless, Kim." His eyes spoke truth as he held my chin between his fingers. "I don't think you're weak at all." The tears that rolled from my eyes then were ones of pure gratitude. Of all the things he could have said to affect me in that moment…that was the one, those were the words… that meant so much. I sniffled and he pressed kisses to my wet nose and eyes.

"I saw something come to life inside of you in the hallway with Alec. Something fierce…something powerful." He smiled. "And I liked it. I liked it a lot, honey." He grinned even wider, flashing his most brilliant, disarming smile that I'd always loved so much when I'd admired him from afar. I couldn't help but smile back until I was blushing and practically giggling with silly delight at his praise. Strangely, it really was the nicest thing he could have said to me.

"And I think," he cocked his head askance as his eyes scanned my features, his expression suddenly serious. "I think you're ready to be the one to take control, Kim," he deduced.

He released his death grip on my hips and reached his arms up over and behind his head, leaning further back into the couch and gripping the armrest behind his head firmly with both hands.

Oh, fuck he looked sexy as hell like that.

"You and I both know how aroused you are, Kim," he admitted candidly with a kindly smile. "My wolf is threatening to claw me apart from the inside if I don't fuck you senseless soon like your scent is begging us to."

_Gah! Oh, heaven fucking help me, why did he have to talk so damn dirty right now? _

"But I'm not gonna take you, honey." He shook his head solemnly. "Uh-uh. I'm not gonna rip those shorts off like I want to and thrust into you until you scream in orgasm, baby," he informed me with a gentle sincerity that was in such stark contrast to his gruff words.

_Oh, fuck! I really needed him to stop talking like that. _

"No, sweetheart." He shook his head again. "As much as I'm dying to drag my dick in and out of you in every sexual position recorded in the Kama Sutra," he shrugged, "I just can't let myself do that."

_Fuck me this was the very worst time for sweet Jared to become so dirty and foul-mouthed on me!_

"Uh-uh, baby," he looked pointedly at me with his lust-filled eyes. "_You're_ gonna have to take _me_."

My eyes went wide. _Did he mean? _He nodded. _Oh, my god, he did!_

"C'mon, sweetie," he coaxed softly as he lifted his hips up into me, smiling tenderly. I moaned and let my head fall forward into the crook of his neck. "You can do it," he whispered seductively in my ear. "You want to control something. _Control me_, baby."

I was speechless, motionless…my mind a blank slate.

"C'mon," he encouraged in his husky baritone. "Just take those shorts off, angel," he whispered enticingly as his tongue traced the shell of my ear. "Mm…I can smell how fucking soaked you are, baby."

_His words were fucking killing me!_

"Just slide yourself onto me, Kimmie," he tempted. My body was trembling fairly violently now. "I promise your sweet pussy's gonna feel so much better once I'm inside of you, baby," he crooned. "I'll let you do whatever you want with me. You'll have total control," he promised, his teeth nibbling at my ear. "You can take me as slow or as fast as you want. You can take as much or as little of my big dick inside of you as you want. It's all up to you, baby. _You hold all the power_. C'mon," he seduced, "be powerful for me, Kimmie. _Do what feels good to you_. You can have anything you want."

Every cell in my body was screaming to do just what he was suggesting. My body was aching to be filled. My psyche was desperate for the control; hungry for the power he was so readily offering. My ego begged for that mysterious promise of ever-elusive fulfillment that getting the boy I'd spent a lifetime wanting would surely bring.

My mind was a mess…a mass of confusion. I didn't know why Paul hadn't claimed me. Why he hadn't said he loved me back in the forest. He'd never explained why he'd slept with so many other girls during those years when he'd professed to want me.

But my heart…my heart didn't care. My heart still wanted Paul. And it shocked me somewhat as I realized my heart was in fact stronger than the crazy loud chant of my sex organ amid my legs now, stronger than my ego, than my very power-hungry and control-starved inner spirit.

I lifted my head from Jared's shoulder. His dark brown eyes beseeched mine. I shook my head. "I'm sorry..." my mouth grew dry as I attempted to explain. "I do love you, Jared," I whispered truthfully. "I think I'll always love you." I smiled as my eyes welled up with new tears. "And you've helped me more than you're ever likely to comprehend."

His eyes shone with a love and an understanding that nearly broke my heart. Because at the same time, they reflected his utter devastation. _Wow, I truly was a bitch._

In a weird way I realized now that Jared had helped me survive my whole childhood. He'd given me an escape, something to focus on…a dream of a future I could cling to when I'd had nothing else…even if it hadn't been real and I hadn't even known him. It was true I would always be grateful and love him for that. And now I could also be grateful that he'd helped me to realize the full extent of my feelings and commitment toward Paul.

"I love Paul," I shrugged simply. "I love the grey wolf. It's just…different. Please? Please understand, Jared? Please, don't hate me?"

He smiled ruefully, his arms coming up from behind the armrest to encase me in a hug. "Aw, Kim, I could never hate you." He peppered kisses to my eyes and wet cheeks. "There's nothing you could ever do that would make me hate you, honey."

I sniffled and sobbed out "sorry" after "so sorry" as his big hands stroked down my hair and back comfortingly. I clung even tighter to him in my relief, causing him to groan painfully and swear. I lifted my head, regarding him curiously as his eyes seemed to have rolled back into his head.

His voice had never sounded so strained as he winced and informed me, "I don't want you to be sorry, sweetheart, but I seriously **do **need you to stop grinding yourself onto my cock if I'm gonna do the right thing by you here."

"Ooh!" I lifted my wayward pelvis off of him instantly. "Sorry!" I apologized sheepishly. "_So sorry!_"

He started to chuckle, albeit still wincing in pain as he muttered wryly, "You're gonna be the fucking death of me, know that?"

Just as I felt my own sense of bizarre humor rising to the surface, I suddenly heard a loud crash as my front door was thrown open. An instant later I was aggressively lifted off of Jared, my body flung through the air and out of the way as I was practically tossed clear across the room.

"Embry!" Jared admonished. "What the fuck are you…"

Jared's words were cut short as I heard the unmistakable crack of a fist hitting a jaw, followed by Jared's startled exclamation of pain. "_Fuuck, man!_"

I tried to quickly gather my scattered wits, as I lay sprawled on the carpet, taking in the ugly scene unfolding before me.

"You fucking asshole!" Embry roared.

"Back off!" Jared roared right back. "I didn't do anything to Kim. You're the one who just fucking threw her across the room!"

"Oh, god, he really didn't, Em!" I shrieked; my heart suddenly seized with panic. "He didn't do anything wrong," I defended, scrambling to my feet on shaky, and now sore limbs. "It was _me_...it was all me!" I professed, blushing scarlet. "I just…I don't know what happened, Em…but it was **my** doing. I practically attacked him on the couch and he was a total saint for not doing anything. I mean…any other guy would've…with the way I was…" I stammered nervously, _desperately_, as Embry stood glowering down at Jared, who was still holding his abused jaw.

"Kim!" Embry shouted, holding his hand up in exasperation and cutting me off. "Stay out of it," he dismissed me. "You don't know what's going on here, okay. You've just entered your fucking heat cycle! Any wolf could've smelled it from a block away and this son of a bitch knew _exactly_ what he was doing when he came over here to _take care of_ _you_ last night."

Heat cycle? _Oh, my god! Like what Leah had described to me?_ I _was_ right around ovulation time.

Jared's face was a mask of innocence. "Heat cycle?" his brow furrowed. "I don't know anything about a heat cycle."

Embry growled. His chest started heaving up and down. "Oh, no…no you fucking don't." His tone was a warning.

"You have to believe, me, Kim," Jared's eyes pleaded his innocence to mine. "I swear I don't know anything about what he's talking about. I was just as surprised as you were when you started kissing me this morning."

"You have the best sense of smell in the pack, mother fucker!" Embry swore in complete enragement.

_What? Could it be true? Had he known the whole time that that was what was going on with me?_

"I…I think he's telling the truth, Em," I insisted regardless, trying to catch my breath. My heart was hammering out of control now. "It was just an honest mistake. Wrong place at the wrong time kind of thing." I shrugged. _Oh lord!_ _Paul was going to find out and he was going to kill Jared._ If Embry was this upset, how angry would Paul be?

Embry was shaking now…vibrating like a tuning fork. "_No!"_ he snarled. "No, he doesn't get to feign innocence this time," he bit out. "He doesn't get to get away with this one!"

"Em, we can't let Paul find out about this!" I blurted out, my own worst fears consuming me now. "He'll be so angry…and then he'll want to fight Jared…I mean…he's liable to go apeshit on Jared if he thinks…"

"No, he's not, Kim," Embry said quietly in a deathly calm, raspy voice that was oddly scarier than any other I'd ever heard from him. He turned to me and his irises were a pale, gorgeous blue color.

_Oh, my! Em's eyes were blue in wolf form? _That realization was probably a bit more distracting to me than it needed to be in this particular moment, but I was so fascinated to know their eyes could shift different colors than just yellow in wolf form I neglected to realize that Embry was more enraged than I'd ever seen him.

I started to clue in as Jared dropped his drawers and started backing up towards the sliding back door buck naked. He held his hands up to Embry. "Listen, man, let's just go outside. You can see in my head that I had no dishonorable intentions towards Kim."

Embry laughed. Not his normal, fun-loving goofball laugh, but a twisted, bitter chuckle that sounded so jaded it scared me. "Say goodbye to your ranking as pack Gamma, bitch," Embry threatened, drawing closer to his prey.

_Shit!_ "Please, Em…just calm down," I pleaded. "It was all me!" I insisted anxiously again. "You have to calm down and help me figure out a way to explain to Paul. We just can't let Paul flip out and try to kill him."

Embry had been watching Jared closely, matching his every move and menacingly stalking him towards the sliding back door. "I told you already, Kim," he grumbled irritably. "Paul's not gonna kill Jared. _Uh-uh_." He shook his head and then he snapped his vengeful feral blue eyes to me. I shrank back from him reflexively. He didn't look anything like my sweet little half-brother Embry in that moment.

"_That's __**my**__ fucking job, now!_" he growled, just before all hell broke loose as Embry seemed to move like a streak of lightning, barreling into Jared and taking him with him straight through the sliding glass, both of them morphing into big balls of fur as they tumbled into the backyard. I crouched to the floor, shielding my face with my hands as shattered glass flew everywhere.

Oh, holy hell it was like déjà vu, only so much worse! I staggered across the shattered glass littering the floor and out into the backyard where two massive wolves appeared to be fighting to the death in broad daylight! I'd never actually seen Embry in wolf form before. He was grey with black spots and he was leaner than Jared's chestnut wolf. Jared seemed to be taking the defensive, fending off Embry's attacks while trying to lure him towards the forest line. And Embry seemed to be getting some good hits…err…_claws_ in during this process. I couldn't get over how livid he was. _Shit, this had all the makings of a complete disaster!_

Without thinking I ran straight for them, straight into the fray of two supernatural wolves, one of them hell bent on tearing the other one apart.

"Stop it!" I screamed. "Stop, right now, Embry!"

Embry's muzzle whipped in my direction for a split second, giving Jared's wolf the opening advantage he needed to pounce forward, knocking Embry's wolf to the ground as his jaws snapped onto his shoulder.

I screamed as I heard Embry's howl of pain. "Jared! Let go of him this instant!" I scolded. But Embry was already growling something fierce, shaking Jared's wolf off as he simultaneously swiped his claws across his tender underbelly. I screamed again as I endured another wounded cry of pain, this time from Jared's wolf.

I don't know how long it went on like this…them taking shots at one another while I screamed and shouted in protest. It seemed like an eternity. They both took to snarling at me in warning every so often as I followed them into the forest. I knew they were trying to get away from me. Trying to keep me out of harm's way. But I didn't care. I didn't want either of them getting hurt because of me. And I was so angry that they were fighting like this, completely dismissing me, and my objections.

Just when I thought Jared had gained the ultimate advantage over Embry's wolf, jumping onto his back and sinking his jaws into his neck, Embry thrashed wildly, bucking him off and sending him flying straight into the thick trunk of a particularly large tree. The chestnut wolf whimpered and whined in pain. He shook his head and tried to get back up but he seemed disoriented and unable to rise to his legs.

Embry's wolf bared his teeth and lunged forward.

"Embry, no!" I screamed. It was enough to make him falter for a moment and I threw myself over Jared's wolf, hugging him protectively, shielding his injured body with my own as Embry's wolf barked angrily over us both. _Embry wouldn't hurt me. Embry wouldn't hurt me_. I chanted over and over again in my head. I had no choice but to believe it.

I heard the awful sound of a pained wolf howl in the distance. I knew at once which wolf that howl belonged to, and the sound nearly broke my heart. Paul was back. _And he knew_.

And then I felt the ground shake beneath us. Embry's wolf ears perked up. He stopped snarling and began to poke and nudge at me with his muzzle, trying to coax me off of Jared. I held onto Jared's fur even tighter. "No!" I grumbled up at Embry as he yipped and nudged at me more desperately. Jared's wolf seemed to be recovering somewhat now and he also began to try and gently shake me off, even as he continued to whimper every so often in pain with his movement. I still wouldn't budge and I knew they both would only be so forceful in their efforts as they'd be afraid of hurting me in the process of dislodging me.

I knew Paul's grey wolf was approaching. I knew he'd be hurt by whatever he'd seen of this morning's events in Jared and Embry's minds. He was most likely furious. He would want to kill Jared. But he would have to get through me first. I promised myself, no matter how scared I was, I wouldn't relinquish my hold on Jared.

Embry's wolf snuffled and whined pitifully and abandoned his efforts to make me move, abruptly turning and taking a defensive position in front of me and Jared as the enormous grey and black wolves that were Paul and Sam flew through the trees into view.

Sheer madness ensued. It seemed every wolf was barking and snarling at once. Sam attempted in vain to hold Paul off and push him back to no avail. But Paul broke forward, past the reach of Sam's wolf, lunging directly at me where I laid atop Jared. He was blocked mid-air by Embry's wolf, and the two tumbled and rolled, a mess of fur and snapping jaws as they snarled, bit and clawed at one another. Sam ultimately positioned himself protectively in front of me, and Jared as Embry had done, barking what seemed to be orders at the fighting pair.

Paul threw Embry's wolf, then he phased human. His face was alight with fury as he pulled the gym shorts on that had been tied to his leg and stalked over to us. Sam remained in wolf form, growling in warning as Paul approached. Embry phased back to human form as well, dusting himself off and clutching a bleeding shoulder as he rose to his feet. I quickly averted my eyes as I realized he was naked and his shorts were torn to bits back inside my demolished house.

"You have exactly three seconds to get the fuck off of Jared, Kim," Paul spat at me.

"Hey, you don't talk to her like that!" Embry erupted at Paul in my defense, jogging up behind him. "It's not Kim's fault. She's ovulating and that asshole took advantage of the situation! He knew damned well how her heat cycle scent would impact his own pheromone release and then how that would in turn affect her."

"Stay out of it!" Paul shot back at Embry. Then he glared down at me and his voice was low and vicious. "Get the fuck off of him, Kim," he ordered. My stomach twisted painfully with shame and hurt. "_Now!_" Paul roared at me when I didn't move. My body jumped in startled response but I clung to the chestnut wolf. I wasn't so sure now it wasn't more for my own comfort than for Jared's protection. Jared's wolf growled weakly back at Paul. _Shit, he really seemed to be hurt still!_

"Whoa!" Embry interjected, getting up in Paul's face challengingly. "If you think this Ike Turner shit is gonna fly with me you've got another thing coming. You talk to her like that again and that's the last fucking time you'll be talking to her," he threatened.

_Oh, Jesus!_ This pissing match was getting out of control.

"No sister of mine is gonna date an asshole who talks to her like that!" Embry proceeded to invade Paul's personal space further until Paul finally shoved him, sending him stumbling back several feet and onto his ass. Embry rebounded quickly, coming back at Paul with fists raised just as Sam phased human as well, bellowing, "**ENOUGH**, guys!"

I startled at the sound, my fingers burrowing further into Jared's fur. Embry and Paul proceeded to glare and growl at one another while Sam pulled his own shorts on. Then he knelt down to my level and addressed me in a much gentler tone. "Kim, please? I need to check on Jared's injuries, okay? He's hurt his back."

_Oh, god, would he be okay?_ Back injuries were serious. I looked back and forth uncertainly between Sam and Paul, who was now scowling at me like he wanted to strangle me…like he actually…_hated me_. I felt sick.

"No one's going to hurt him, Kim," Sam reassured me. "Neither Paul nor Embry would ever attack an injured pack brother," he informed me, glaring meaningfully back at them both. Paul rolled his eyes and fumed. Embry looked somewhat embarrassed and contrite, despite shaking his head in obvious irritation.

"Please?" Sam implored. "Please move off of him? You've got injuries we need to check too, honey," Sam pointed out softly, reaching his hand out and letting his fingers skim over my lower leg, ankle and bare foot that was closest to him. Paul growled, earning him another death glare from the Alpha.

I looked down and was startled to note Sam was right. Amidst my adrenaline rush I'd walked over broken glass and then run barefoot through the forest. A quick glance revealed both of my ankles and my feet were covered with cuts and gashes and caked with dirt and blood in more than a few places. I was a little thrown by Scary Sam addressing me with a term of endearment and inspecting my injuries so carefully. He'd said 'honey' in such a concerned, fatherly way that I'd never experienced before. I realized my own dad had never expressed as much, never spoken to me with remotely the same level of concern for my wellbeing that Sam was demonstrating now. _And he hardly knew me_. Why should he even care when if anything I was the biggest nuisance disrupting and distracting his pack right now?

I blinked back tears as Sam offered his hand to assist me up. "Please, Kim?"

"Promise no one will hurt him?" I whispered, stealing another glance behind Sam at Embry and Paul.

"I promise," Sam assured me, his tone ripe with alpha authority.

As I was contemplating trusting Sam to be able to protect Jared from Paul, I suddenly fell closer to the ground as Jared shifted into human form beneath me. "Go on. Go with Sam, Kim," he croaked. I turned and searched his face with anxious eyes as all manner of growls and cursing erupted above us. Jared gifted me with a weak smile, murmuring, "Don't worry, I'm already healing, baby…just need a little time."

As my heart was flooded with relief at the knowledge Jared was going to be okay, it was consumed with certain dread again as Paul bit out, "She's not your fucking, baby. And I'm gonna break your back for real along with every other bone in your body just as soon as you've healed."

Somehow I found the strength and courage to jump to my tattered feet then. "Stop it!" I rounded on Paul. "It was me okay? I did it! I came on to _him!_"

"Yeah, I _**know**_, Kim!" he thundered down at me. I looked up into his dark, accusing eyes and was met with such scorn and rancor I instantly shrunk back a pace just as Embry stepped up and angled his body protectively between mine and Paul's.

"Ugh…Embry!" I complained, covering my eyes. I did _not_ want to see my own brother's goods.

"Sorry," he mumbled and stepped back, still maintaining somewhat of a too close distance for a naked blood relative though.

"Fucking Christ, Kim, I was gone for less than 36 hours!" Paul derided. "You couldn't even wait that long for me to come back and _service_ you, you were such a bitch in heat?"

"Watch your fucking mouth!" Embry rushed back to my side defensively.

I covered my eyes again and shooed him away. "_Embry!_ A little space, please?"

I swallowed painfully. I'd never seen Paul look at me like that…with such callousness, such unforgiving disdain. "It…it was my fault," I whispered up at him. "And I…I'm so sorry." He only scowled back at me and I imagined my heart was probably going to pound right through my chest at any moment in its state of distress.

"It _wasn't_ your fault, Kim," Embry insisted stubbornly.

"It wasn't **not** her fault, either," Paul hissed.

"Fuck you, Paul," Embry shot back.

"You're a twisted, bitter asshole, Lahote," Jared injected spitefully from behind me. I turned and saw Sam helping him to his feet. "You don't fucking deserve her love," he sneered.

"And you're a fucking dead man, Cameron," Paul threw back.

"Damnit, this isn't the time, guys!" Sam admonished, shouldering most of Jared's weight as he took his first steps over to us. "Focus, please! We've got a psycho bitch assembling some kind of vampire army up north and not a fucking clue what she's after down here. She's faster than any of us and unbelievably strong. She nearly ripped Paul in half this morning she was so pissed after he took out her minion boy toy."

My mouth fell open and my eyes flew wide as I scanned Paul's torso for the first time. _Oh, my god!_ He had a fresh scar nearly seven inches in length healing on his left side just below his ribs. It was healing well but you could tell it'd been a fairly severe gash.

"Oh, my god! Paul, are you okay?" I gasped in panic, impulsively stepping forward and reaching my hand out towards his midsection.

He swatted my fingers away faster than I could blink. "Who are you, my fucking mother?" he scorned callously. My fingers smarted in pain as my cheeks flushed crimson. He was rejecting me. _He didn't want me_. _I'd fucked up and now he didn't want me._ I'd been insecure that he was wavering in his feelings for me before he left and now it was certain. There was no mistaking the larger truth behind the words he'd chosen. That's what I was to him now…_a lowlife cheater like his mother_. I was like the woman he despised and resented most in life.

"Obviously he's well enough to still be an asshole," Jared taunted, "and abuse his own professed imprint."

"You'd better shut it, Jared," Paul growled.

"You've got her so confused the poor girl really thinks she actually loves you. But she'll soon figure out what an asshole you are and realize I'm the one who's trying to give her whatever she needs."

"Jared!" Sam warned.

Paul's eyes had partially shifted and he was starting to vibrate.

"Jared, stop!" I pleaded, somewhat shocked and horrified he would bait an already incensed Paul like that after I'd just worked so hard to prevent Paul from killing him. It was too bad it hadn't been his mouth that was injured because he just kept going.

"I'm the one who knows what it means to imprint and be willing to be whatever my imprint wants me to be for her!" he declared self-righteously.

Just as Paul's feral growls were reaching epic Animal Planet level, Embry released an exaggerated groan of annoyance. "Oh, go sell it to your fucking mother, Jared! No one in this forest is drinking your noble imprinting kool-aid."

"STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!" I screeched, suddenly feeling strangely possessed and not myself. It was similar to how I'd felt in the hallway with Alec. My headache was swiftly returning and I'd spent the last five minutes wondering whether it would be my ulcer or my heart that ultimately burst first.

"**I'm **_**nobody's**_** mother fucking goddamn cock-sucking imprint, okay!**" I announced to the treetops. I wasn't sure I'd even used those cuss words appropriately in my fit of lame Tourette's, but it had done the job because every He-Man was silent…_and staring at me now like I had sprouted a second head_.

Embry broke the spell of silence by snorting and announcing with pride, "My sister just said the word _cock-sucking_."

I turned on my bloody heel and strode with as much aplomb as I could manage given the fact I had glass embedded in my feet, back in the direction of my house. It wasn't long before they were calling after me to stop and catching up with me. Sam, Jared and Embry all insisted at once that someone carry me back and see to my wounded feet. Sam was already helping Jared though and there was no way in hell Embry was carrying me anywhere, anytime, _ever _without his knickers on!

I glanced back and noted Paul hadn't bothered to follow after me. He wasn't offering to assist me back home. He didn't seem to even give a fuck if I was injured as he simply continued to scowl at me, his face a mask of barely contained fury. And I couldn't remember ever being so infuriated before as I was in that moment seeing Paul display such open hostility towards me.

I stopped hearing the words Sam, Jared and Embry were saying to me. I only heard my heart beating and the blood pounding in my ears. I fancied it to be the sound of my own inner war drums.

And then I _felt her_…as sure as I felt my own hand. And I _heard her_…as I had heard my own internal thoughts my entire life. I heard _her thoughts_ loud and clear in my head…just as if they were my own. I felt her emotion; I felt her thought process. _I simply felt her_. I felt her move with me, within me, and in the briefest moment _for me_ as I turned fully around and walked about seven paces back in Paul's direction. There was an odd moment of panic where I didn't understand why the heck I'd done that as I wondered what in the world I was going to say to him even as I opened my mouth and her words tumbled out crystal clear despite my confusion.

"I'm _not_ your mother, and you don't get to blame me for her shit." The look of sheer surprise that replaced the scowl that had been on Paul's face was priceless. "You think you're the only one to know disappointment in life? Maybe if you stopped pouting long enough you'd realize you at least got a great father. _Some of us didn't get either!_"

I couldn't believe those words had even come out of me. They weren't mine, they were _her words_…they belonged to the angry girl I felt inside of me now…the _wrong Kimmie_ from my dreams who was presently driving this ship for the both of us. I knew that…but at the same time, they felt right falling from my lips, as if on some deeper level her words were a part of me as well. _Because the malice that accompanied them felt strangely good_.

_But I wasn't angry. I'd never been the type to be vengeful or begrudging. _

_But the wrong Kimmie was_. And somehow she knew exactly where to strike her opponent. She wasn't done yet.

Paul's expression went from surprised to incredulous to pissed off again. His eyes narrowed and to my horror the word "_bitch_" fell from his lips in a breathy whisper.

I wanted to feel hurt by it. I wanted to feel devastated. And in some remote part of my brain I truly was. The real Kim that was me, the one who wanted to please everyone, the Kim that wanted to make Paul happy, that yearned for his forgiveness, didn't want to piss him off even more. But I wasn't the Kim in the driver's seat anymore. I was being pushed further into the backseat. I was an observer to the dominant wrong Kimmie's actions now. And I couldn't have stopped her from saying what she did next even if I'd known beforehand that she was going to say it.

"You tell your grey wolf you don't have permission to mark us anymore…not now, _not ever!" _I could have sworn I saw both hurt and fear cross Paul's eyes at those words before he quickly recomposed his features into a look of indifference. I instantly felt terrible for causing him pain. But my reaction along with my feelings, were pushed further into the background as I felt more of the wrong Kimmie's rage rising to the forefront.

Unlike me, it seemed the wrong Kimmie didn't put everyone else's feelings above her own, as she informed Paul, "I'm not anybody's bitch. You think you're the only one who knows what it is to be angry? Disrespect me again, and I'll show you what angry fucking looks like."

I turned on my heel a second time to find a stunned Sam and Embry and a rather smug looking Jared, who mumbled, "Well finally the veil is lifting," under his breath.

"_Please_," Embry scoffed in response, "You're the jackass who tried to take advantage of my sister during her heat cycle. And you'd better believe I'm gonna be making your life a living hell from here on out now that I'm Gamma."

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure it was the tree who earned the title for you!" Jared retorted.

As I strode past them they began insisting they help me again, to which I held up a hand and grumbled out a firm, "I can walk fine and I want to be alone."

Sam abandoned Jared to the leaf litter, swiftly coming after me and pleading, "C'mon, Kim. Just let me carry you back and get you cleaned up? And I'll send some of my workers over to take care of the mess and replace the glass."

He was doing it again, dishing out the concerned, fatherly bit. As much as it made me wistful it made my wrong Kimmie furious. _We didn't need anybody! _ But before either of us could respond, a distressed wolf howl sounded in the distance. It seemed to immediately alarm every He-Man present.

"Fuck," Embry's eyes widened as he shared a knowing look with his pack brothers, "that's not Jake or Quil, is it?"

Paul didn't say anything, but he was the first to strip, shift and take off through the woods in search of the unfamiliar howl. Sam hesitated, glancing back down at my blood stained feet, but I urged him to go, assuring him I was fine, and he took off quickly in pursuit of Paul. Embry was left to help his least favorite pack brother traverse the forest after them.

* * *

><p>When I got home I took another shower. I methodically inspected and pulled the glass shards from my feet with tweezers, and then I thoroughly cleaned and bandaged them up. Odd as it was, they seemed to be healing already and showed no sign of inflammation or potential infection, despite how filthy and mistreated the multiple open wounds had been.<p>

I went on autopilot cleaning up the mess. I didn't want to accept Sam's help and let his construction contractors take care of replacing the glass. And I couldn't call my dad about replacing the glass, so I made other plans. My dad hadn't bothered to come home for several days. He had to know by now from aunt Susie that I knew about Embry and yet he still hadn't bothered to come talk to me. _Fucking coward!_ I wasn't talking to him either.

So I called Alison. I'd already missed my afternoon flight to Los Angeles. I apologized and told her how I'd gotten sick with the killer migraine. Then I said a tree had fallen and crashed through the sliding glass doors this morning. I told her I needed to stay long enough to get it repaired. She claimed it was no problem and re-booked my flight for Monday afternoon.

_Paul didn't want me_. And I didn't want to be at school or anywhere else near him come Monday.

I straight out asked Alison for financial help, something I'd never done before, in order to get the doors replaced. She was only too happy to provide a credit card and even three-way called glass vendors in Forks with me to see who could come out and repair the damage the fastest. I was feeling better already, more like myself again. As I dialed vendors with Alison I tried to push the bizarre alter ego insanity I'd felt in the woods from my mind, to imagine it had never happened. But I couldn't help but notice, even though the strange presence of the "wrong Kimmie" seemed to have faded into the background now, I was dimly aware of her as I sensed her satisfaction at taking financial help from aunt Susie, if only for the fact it would have pissed my mom off to no end.

By the time I got off the phone with Alison, everything was arranged and the vendor was on his way. Alison had offered to pay double to get workers out immediately, assuring me money was irrelevant, and that it was pure selfishness on her part as she confessed she felt her very sanity was at stake if I didn't get out there soon. She said Susie and Todd had been acting strangely ever since Bennett's weird disappearance and reappearance. She attributed it to Bennett moving out, concluding it must be some premature empty nest syndrome panic, because they were refusing to let her move into the backhouse after all, claiming they'd miss her too much if she wasn't in the main house with them. _It did sound a bit much…and not like them at all._

And she said they'd been constantly up in her business, suddenly obsessed with spending time with her, offering to accompany her nearly everywhere she went, even if it was only to the store. She revealed she felt very near to flipping the fuck out if she didn't get some space soon. And she was hoping my coming out would force them to back off and stop being so psycho. I hoped it would as well…_since I really didn't relish the notion of them being all up in my grill at the moment much either. _

Embry came around to check on me late in the evening, looking depressed as all hell. He delivered the news that Seth Clearwater was the latest lucky wolf to join the pack. He said Leah and Sue weren't taking it so well but that I should wait until tomorrow to go check on Leah since he'd just slipped her a stolen Xanax she'd begged him to procure in order to help her settle down. I felt so terrible for Leah. But I guessed at least now maybe Seth wouldn't be so confused and angry over Leah's relationship with Sam.

I told Embry how Seth had yelled at Leah and Sue the other day when I'd been over. Embry nodded in understanding and told me that increased or uncharacteristic anger was one of the major final warning signs a wolf was about to phase. I guess somehow I'd missed that information before but it made sense looking back at Quil's wolfing out incident and at how they all always seemed to get angry right before they went furry.

I questioned why Jared had purposely taunted Quil then when he was already angry that day at school. Embry explained that sometimes when it was so close like that and the phase seemed inevitable, they would push things along, since that way it was easier to control the time and place of the initial phasing, allowing for less collateral damage.

It kind of sounded like they were trying to play Spirit Warrior to me. Hadn't Really Old Quil said every boy destined to phase still had a choice in it? Weren't they taking away one's free will to choose in a way by pushing it? _But who was I to say?_

Embry confessed Seth's initial phase had been fairly brutal, as he'd exploded right in front of his mother, Sue. _Yikes!_ No one had been hurt but Embry indicated the incident had put them all on high alert and they were closely watching who they suspected the next phasing candidate to be now. When I asked him who said candidate was, he just shrugged awkwardly, his face flushing as he mumbled something about how he didn't think I knew the kid.

I couldn't help but notice he looked uncomfortably guilty. He was hiding something from me. Maybe he wasn't allowed to tell me secrets involving the wolves anymore now that I wasn't considered an imprint and part of the pack. So I chose not to tell him about leaving for California. I had been debating the wisdom in telling him all afternoon anyway, since I knew he might try to stop me and also, if he knew, the rest of the pack could find out from the shared mind link. I didn't think Paul would try to stop me now, but I knew for sure Jared would. I didn't feel as guilty about hiding it since if Embry was keeping secrets from me, I could keep them from him. I decided I would for sure check on Leah tomorrow though, and say my goodbyes to her.

* * *

><p>After a fitful and mostly sleepless night where I dreamt of a scared little Kimmie and an angry, wrong Kimmie arguing back and forth in the woods while Maggie screamed and hollered to me for help in the distance, just like she'd done in my crazy nightmare earlier in the week, I arose early on Sunday morning and proceeded to pack my bags for California. I wouldn't be leaving until the following day but I was anxious and restless, and I had to keep myself busy. On top of everything, I was still outrageously horny, and with zero chance of a satisfactory release in sight now, I was even more irritable and angry. I cleaned the whole house from top to bottom. I wrote a note to Embry that I planned to leave behind with Leah when I saw her.<p>

By ten o'clock in the morning I was making my way over to Jared's house, where I'd planned to just drop off the casserole pans with a thank you note I'd written for Sandra. I'd been hoping not to run into either Jared or Sandra, but Sandra spotted me coming up the driveway and was flinging the door open to greet me before I'd even reach the front steps.

Our reunion over a pot of tea was awkward, to say the least. It seemed Sandra was definitely under the impression Jared and I were already dating… or would be dating in short order as she told me how much she knew Jared appreciated my _friendship_. I smiled and reassured her I appreciated Jared's _friendship_ as well.

To make matters more uncomfortable she stopped me as I was finally leaving and added a somewhat racist and seemingly unnecessary comment about how happy she was to see Jared taking an interest in darker complected girls again. I think my blush and raised eyebrow probably said it all and she quickly tittered and apologized for her rudeness and prejudiced remark, explaining, "It's just…ever since that…that _Jenkins_ _girl,_" she spat the name out, "broke my sweet boy's eight-year-old heart on Valentine's day so many years ago, I feared he'd never look at another native girl again."

_What did she say? _Jenkins? _As in Maggie?_ I took a deep breath as an odd disquiet washed over me. "Um…you don't mean _Maggie_ Jenkins, do you?" I quickly prayed there was another Jenkins girl somewhere on the reservation I'd never known about. Maybe one who'd been homeschooled?

She raised her eyes heavenward and huffed. "Yes, _that_ one," she stated with barely suppressed contempt.

"Curly haired Maggie Jenkins?" I checked. _There was no way!_

She nodded, scrunching her nose up in disgust. "I never thought she was that pretty myself." She waved her hand dismissively. "All that crazy hair. Definitely too tall for a girl and so skinny. And always acting so smart and supercilious, way too opinionated for her own good."

_Oh, my god, she really did mean Maggie! _My Maggie! My Maggie had rejected an eight-year-old Jared? What?

Why had she never told me this?

"Well, I sure gave her mother a piece of my mind back in the day about raising her daughter to have better manners than to rip up a Valentine and stomp on a lollipop from a gentleman caller," Sandra informed me with importance.

_Gentleman caller?_ Were we living in the Civil War era? When had an eight-year-old boy ever been considered a "gentleman caller"?

"I tell you, I didn't think Jared would ever get over that unfortunate incident. Oh, he cried and cried that night; kept asking me, '_Why, why doesn't she like me, mama? I always see her staring at me. I thought that meant she liked me back'._" She shook her head and her eyes saddened in reflection.

_Oh, holy shit! I'd been all kinds of fucking blind._ My odd conversation with Jared in the hallway following the Alec incident made sense now. I recalled the fuzzy old memory with the little girl and the lollipop Sam had seen in Jared's head that Leah had brought up the other day. The mere mention of it had enraged Jared like nothing else.

"I told him she wasn't worthy of him," Sandra continued. "And I said indifference was the greatest punishment of all. It's like my mother always taught me, '_hold your head high and put on a fresh coat of lipstick!_' There's no need for others to see when they've gotten you down. I told Jared he should just go on like nothing ever happened. I said he should always be the perfect gentleman, but that he shouldn't _ever_ give that undeserving girl a second look ever again! Unfortunately I think he took my advice to heart so much he decided never to give _any_ girl who reminded him in any way of Maggie a second look." She stared at me and after a beat her frown morphed into a blindingly white, toothy grin that was almost frightening in its intensity. "Until _now_, that is."

I was still digesting this most unexpected, critical information from Sandra as I ran straight to Maggie's house, my heart racing a mile a minute. _I needed answers. I had to know_. Had Maggie ever liked Jared back? Had she rejected him only because of me? _Fuck, I had a horrible feeling she had_.

_Because she was a better and truer friend than I'd ever been to her. _

I knew I was out of breath more from sheer panic than from being winded as Angie Jenkins answered the door, looking disheveled and like she'd been crying for 24 hours straight. I was taken aback but I still managed to blurt out in a rush of air that I needed to see Maggie. When she didn't respond right away I simply pushed past her into the house, calling out for Maggie. There was no answer. I ran back to her room.

She wasn't home. Mrs. Jenkins blabbered something about Maggie visiting with relatives for a few days through the remainder her school suspension. Instantly I knew she was lying to me, and I was filled with the worst sense of unease. Mrs. J's scent had changed suddenly when she'd said the part about Maggie visiting with relatives. It was off.

_Say what?_ Since when had a lie smelled? _Fuck it, I was having a nervous breakdown!_

I excused myself and headed to Sam's house where I found Leah looking almost as much of a wreck as Maggie's mom. I tried so hard to be polite at first and inquire after her and her mom, express my condolences and concern about Seth, but it wasn't very long before I was interrogating her for information about who the latest phase candidate was.

She shook her head emphatically and croaked, "Ugh, Kim, I _really_ shouldn't' say." But her pitying eyes told me everything I already feared.

"It's Maggie, isn't it?" I breathed in a rushed whisper. Leah hesitated, looking torn. I grabbed her by the shoulders. "Leah? They think it's going to be Maggie, don't they? Please, this is important?"

She nodded and shrugged apologetically. "I'm really sorry, Kim. I know she's your friend…"

"_Why?_" I demanded, my fingers bit into her shoulders and I had to force myself to relax my hold. "Why do they suspect Maggie?"

"Well, Old Old Quil told the apple dumpling gang in his own cryptic, roundabout way that basically they should be thinking outside the box with regard to the next phasing candidate. That even though the legends didn't indicate there had ever been any female shape-shifters in our tribe's history, it didn't mean it wasn't a possibility. Maggie has the right bloodline to carry the wolf gene, she clearly had a huge growth spurt over the summer and even her parents have been startled by her abnormally aggressive behavior lately. I mean, did you know that she got herself suspended from school for punching another girl this past week?"

_Yeah…I did know. And the whole incident had more or less been my fault. _

"She's always been this sweet, mild-mannered girl for the most part until recently," Leah pointed out, adding sadly, "Just like Seth. And then Old Old prune threw out some cheesy Latin proverb to Sam and the tribal elders." She rolled her eyes. "You know that one you see all over the nursery fables? That goes, _Pelle sub agnina latitat mens saepe lupine_?"

I frowned. It felt as if all the blood was swiftly draining from my face.

"You know, the one about the wolf in sheep's clothing? I think it translates to beneath a sheep's skin lies a wolfish mind or something? Anyway, Sam and the elders determined Maggie was most likely the one Really Old Dude's dead buddies were referring to with that."

"Where are they?" I demanded. Leah looked surprised. I wasn't sure if it was due to my question or my tone.

"I can't…"

"_Where are they, Leah?_ I have to know!"

"Kim," she shook her head, "you _can't_ help her," she stated simply but firmly. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing you can do and it would be dangerous for you…"

I was running out the door before she'd finished. I didn't need her to tell me where they were. _Where would they take any wolf they were trying to provoke into phasing?_ Moreover, I remembered where Maggie had been in my crazy nightmare where she was calling for me to help her. The forest was a big place. But I had a sneaky intuition I would find them.

I was soon sprinting across the tree line and into the woods far faster than should have been possible. I told myself it was just my adrenaline; I was being spurred by my fears for Maggie. Then I rationalized it was due to all of the running on the soft sand I'd done with Alison over the summer.

I sidestepped felled branches and leapt over tall brush with more grace and agility than a girl who'd fallen off of the stage at her ballet recital should possess. _Mothers had lifted cars off of their children with the strength of their adrenaline alone._ _Anything was possible, right?_

I heard a woman's scream in the distance and I stumbled to a stop. _It was Maggie_. I lifted my feet and began running again in the direction of her scream. And that's when everything got just a little more bat shit crazy.

I felt the wrong Kimmie urging me forward, heard her words of encouragement in my head. I felt her clawing her way to the surface again; to the forefront…_she wanted control_. She wanted the driver's seat. At the same time I felt little Kimmie screaming inside of me to turn back. To go home. To get on a plane…to fly far away from all of this madness while we still could. But wrong Kimmie growled there was no turning back. We couldn't escape what we were running away from, we'd always run into our own self again.

Little Kimmie screamed she was scared. She wailed she wanted to be a princess. Her emotions made me stagger so forcefully I almost fell. But I caught myself, regained my balance and resumed running, giving in more to the wrong Kimmie's anger and determination, which served to further push little Kimmie's emotions down…until her energy seemed to fade into oblivion along with her thoughts as my feet pounded their way into the ground. I was sprinting now.

That was when I realized there was a total absence of fear intrinsic to the wrong Kimmie's nature that was so completely foreign to anything I'd ever experienced before, and so potently alluring. She lacked hesitation. She lacked any sense of self-doubt. And she lacked any concern for her own wellbeing. It was a rush like no other to feel her. The more I sensed her essence, the more indestructible I felt. It was the most intoxicatingly liberating feeling I'd ever known. And in some increasingly smaller part of my brain I recognized it should've scared the hell out of me, only in this moment, it didn't. _It couldn't_. I even tried to hold onto that idea of fear…simply the notion of being scared…but my brain wouldn't. It was as if fear itself was an emotion my mind didn't recognize anymore. The dominant mind was the wrong Kimmie's now. It was her show. And I became more and more of an observer.

I moved with her. I ran with her. I strategized with her, our minds working as one as we spotted the tiny figures of Jacob, Paul, Quil and Maggie far ahead through the trees. _But her thoughts led_. Mine simply followed. It felt as if **I had to**, but it also felt as though **I wanted to**.

Because her mind was sharper than mine…quicker…_better_. Unencumbered by fear she simply plunged forward. She didn't need to think twice. She just did.

So when Jacob saw me and broke away from the others, rushing to block my path, I hit him. It wasn't about Jacob. It wasn't personal. He was blocking my path to Maggie, and I couldn't let him.

I heard the sound of bones cracking as my fist connected with his face and faintly registered it to be my hand, not Jacob's jaw. But I didn't feel any pain. Jacob gaped at me in shock.

I hit him again. _Harder_. More cracking. Jacob's head swung back this time and I felt a surge of satisfaction, which further fueled my adrenaline. But I could no longer make a fist with my right hand. So I switched to my left. He captured my wrist mid-swing.

"Kim, stop it!" His face was panicked.

"_Kim!_" Maggie screamed as she spotted me. "Oh, God, Kim! Help me!" she cried in desperation. "They're crazy! They think I'm a wolf!" she shrieked. I'd never heard her sound so terrified, and my blood boiled with anger. Behind Jake I could see her struggling to get away as Paul and Quil tried to pull her further away from us, continuing to taunt and provoke her, the way I'd seen Jared do before with Quil. They were trying to get her angry enough to phase. Clearly they were convinced she was destined to be the next wolf in their pack.

_But they were wrong_. The wrong Kimmie seemed to think we could stop it. She knew Maggie wasn't meant to phase. _And I believed her_. Her confidence was beyond doubting. We just had to get to Maggie. We had to stop it. _We owed her that much_.

"Leave her alone, Paul!" I shouted around Jacob's shoulder.

"Just get her out of here Jake!" Paul snarled. "_That's an order!_" he called back, not bothering to respond directly or even look at me.

_Sonofabitch!_

Maggie had made sacrifices for me that never should have been. She'd been my best friend, _my only friend_, for as long as I could remember. She'd turned down Jared because even at eight she'd understood he was the only dream I had to keep me going. She'd warned me and tried to protect me from the wolf pack, she'd punched Gabby out in my defense and gotten herself suspended for it. She'd tried to get me to come to terms with my suppressed emotions about my mom. And I'd laughed at her. I'd mocked her and then I'd lied to her and taken sides with the wolf-boys I'd known for only days.

She didn't need to bear another burden for me. And I sure as hell wasn't going to stand aside and let Paul force her into this one.

_I wasn't weak_. I had another Kimmie inside me now, and she was strong. _So I gave her full control_.

I aligned my thoughts with hers. I basked in her emotions. I let them consume me, let them alter me as I felt the remaining myriad of emotions I'd held onto swiftly narrowing until there was only one. _One singular, overwhelming emotion… _

_Pure, unadulterated…__**rage**__. _

I could taste it on my tongue; I could smell it emanating from my pores. It was all encompassing. It was a bottomless well of fury without beginning or end. It was limitless…relentless.

I began shaking uncontrollably as painful old memories from my childhood flooded me, adding fuel to my fire as they raced through the wrong Kimmie's mind. There were moments I'd blocked out. Details of events I'd barely remembered until now. Things my mom had said and done that I had never even thought to be upset about before; behavior that had simply been par for the course every day of my childhood. They were all part of the wrong Kimmie's store of ammunition.

And it was the wrong Kimmie's unparalleled wrath over those memories in particular, which surprised me the most. It wasn't the big blowout, crazy abusive scenes I'd always recalled so vividly, it was the smaller stuff…the little ongoing jabs and insults…the unmistakable glee evident in my mother's eyes whenever she'd squashed another tiny seed of hope I had quietly been nurturing. Those were the predominant flashes in time the wrong Kimmie had somehow locked away, catalogued and organized into stacks of evidence, forming mountains of unexpressed, unalleviated fury, piles upon piles of resentment and disappointment, all filed with the same label of _un-forgiven_, all incorporated under the master heading, _un-avenged_.

The memories clicked to a stop at the scene in the kitchen. And realization dawned… my mother's death had been the final insult. _There was no satisfaction to be gained from a dead woman_. It was that ultimate injustice that enraged the wrong Kimmie above all else.

_On top of everything, we'd been fucking robbed! _

I felt a deep reverberation of violence roll up from my belly, into and through my chest, past the back of my throat and out across my bared teeth. _Oh, fuck me, I was growling! _

_I was shaking and growling… I knew this to be a bad sign._

I noted Jacob's eyes widening as he took in my state of distress. "Um…Paul?" he called back over his shoulder. "I think…I think we might have a problem…"

Paul didn't spare so much as a glance in my direction. He was too busy tormenting my best friend to acknowledge my presence now.

"Just get her out of here, Jake! We don't have time for this shit."

The pain in my stomach began expanding, the burning hole gaping wide open and raw. As if the ulcer wanted to come out. Or whatever _it_ was, it wanted out. It needed to hurt something…someone… _badly_.

Jacob still held my uninjured left wrist captive in his grasp. So I lifted my broken right hand. I flexed my fingers open. I heard the bones re-break and realign themselves.

"Oh, _fuck_…" Jacob murmured.

Then I clenched them into a tightly closed fist again. And I threw a punch straight up into Jacob's face at inhuman speed without any hesitation. This time the bone I heard crack was Jacob's jaw.

As I watched our tribe's future chief and our pack's alleged future Alpha fly backwards and land flat on his back on the ground, the reality of what was happening became much more real, as I was forced to admit this was beyond the kind of adrenaline rush a mom feels rescuing her child.

"Oh, _shit!_" he exclaimed from the ground as he tested out wiggling his jaw back and forth with his hand. "_Paul? _Man, I think you need to get over here!"

Paul still didn't deign to even turn around in our direction. "Jesus, Jake, its just Kim! Fucking pick her ass up and move her somewhere out of my sight. She weighs all of ten pounds. I'm busy over here!"

_Oh, that was fucking IT! His cocky ass was going down. _

Jacob leapt to his feet just as I took off running, barreling straight for Paul. Jake jumped straight in front of me, holding out his arms to catch me. But I blasted right through his barricade, knocking him roughly aside and down to the ground again like he was a bowling pin.

I'd meant to scream obscenities at Paul as I sprinted towards him faster than I'd ever flown before. I'd meant to shout at him to get the fuck away from my friend. But as my body hurdled forward through the air, the words I'd intended to push forth past my lips simply came out as the loudest feral roar of anger I'd ever heard.

The sound bounced and resonated through the trees. It felt like it flowed out from me for miles in all directions as I came to land on all four paws. I listened to its echo until it diminished and at last vanished.

And then there was a moment of pure quiet where I heard the sound of the wind blowing through my thick fur. I heard tiny animals scampering in the brush miles away. I heard Maggie's heart speed up and then slow down just before she emitted a weak sigh and dropped like a sack of potatoes to the forest floor between Quil and Paul's feet.

I shook my muzzle and snuffled. _Great._ _This was just great_.

I lifted my canine head to find Quil gaping at me in complete shock and confusion. "Oh, w-o-w!" he exclaimed. "Oh, _fuck!_ That was so not supposed to happen," he muttered.

I yearned to chuckle bitterly, snort at the very least, like my patterned stress response was now begging me to do. But in my present condition I only managed to snuffle some more, followed by an odd wheezing sound.

To my everlasting chagrin I realized my fucking mother had been right all along about me! I really wasn't ever meant to be the fairy-tale princess type. _Not by a goddamned long shot!_ No, I was meant to be the giant, supernatural monster dog type. I whipped my tail against my upper left hind hindquarter in disgust and shook my fur out.

Finally I shifted my eyes over from Quil's stupid expression to find Paul's idiotic one. He looked absolutely horrified. He appeared angry…_or_…_freaked? _Disgusted…panicked…_nauseous?_ I could hardly decide what emotion to call it as his eyes darted over my new hairy canine physique. _Oh, lord I was suddenly all kinds of self-conscious and insecure! _ Surely I was hideous to him.

I was an actual _dog_, for chrissakes! How could I not be?

_Whatever, so was he!_ And why did I care what he thought? I was pissed at him. He'd been an asshole to me. He'd just been taunting and torturing my best friend! I felt my anger rising to the forefront once more.

My entire world had been turned upside down in one week. And now I was a freaky, wolfy vampire slayer! _The very last thing I should ever be worrying about right now was whether or not Paul Lahote thought I looked sexy as a bitch_.

But as his dark eyes finally scanned up my wolfish figure to lock with mine, I had an almost irrepressible urge to lick my entire coat once over just to make sure all of my fur was in place as I realized I would probably _always_ care whether Paul thought I looked good as a bitch. Because it was at that very moment my whole world shifted and tilted on its axis yet again.

Not only was I a freakish, supernatural, furry mutt…_I was a giant hairy mutt destined to ride the short bus_.

* * *

><p><strong>AN – So Kim's a wolf, Paul's the imprint and Embry's the new pack Gamma. This brings us to the midpoint of the story. I know, I know… you're thinking, **_**midpoint?**_** Where could this lunacy possibly go next? **_**Oh, if you only knew!**_

**I realize this crazy long chapter probably deserves some sort of long ass author's note (longer than my usual long ass note, that is) explaining why to me it was always Paul who needed to be the one imprinted on given his relationship with his mother and his fears of abandonment, yada yada. An explanation of Kim's behavior and my intentions with this story to depict Dissociative Identity Disorder ("DID"), as I understand it to be based on the year and a half of research I did for another writing project, and not as the freak show it has commonly been popularized in the media to be, is probably also well overdue. But right now I'm too lazy and I've written enough for one week. **

**So happy 2012! :D Thank you all so much for reading and for all of your amazing reviews and support! I can't thank you enough and I wish you all the very best for a healthy and prosperous New Year! **

**Next up: Kimmie kicks major vampire butt and Paul grovels for forgiveness in **_**Who's your Alpha? **_


	23. Chapter 23  Who's your Alpha?  Part 1

**Chapter 23 – Who's your Alpha? – Part I**

**A/N – I know, this is long overdue. The second part is coming, along with the lemony Jared/Kim outtake, "**_**The Peesh Whisperer Strikes Back".**_** I had to post something before I lost my damn mind writing and editing any more pack mind link today. (**_**GEEZ**_**…and I thought writing multiple "Kim's" was confusing!) **

**I've also got a LONG note about DID coming which I'll post at the end of the next chapter. Read if you're interested; I don't know that it's absolutely essential to following the story. Basically, you should just know Kim's experience with Dissociative Identity Disorder (("DID" – formerly known as **_**Multiple Personality Disorder**_** ("MPD")) will not play out like a "Sybil" story by any stretch this fanfic. I have a friend back East with DID… quite a brilliant and accomplished woman, in fact. In addition to being a retired top-level executive of a multi-million dollar international corporation, she's actually never once run through the streets naked confused that she was a baby or anything remotely of that nature. She has never switched into different voices while talking to me and she doesn't change her clothes every 20 minutes to suit her different "alters". It's a far more subtle, internal process than what is depicted on film and television. In most real life scenarios, you would honestly never know you were interacting with a person with DID. You might start to catch on, however, if you shared a supernatural wolf mind link… **

_Oh, holy Taha Aki... he was jaw dropping gorgeous!_ His physical perfection had hardly been lost on me before. Paul had clearly always been a card-carrying member of the beautiful people's club for as long as I'd known him. But now it was almost…_painful_ to even endure looking at him. Shit, just eying him was making my mouth water and causing me to ache between my hind legs. _Oh, and dear lord, that smell!_ That heavenly scent that had started all of this insanity that day in chemistry class wafted over me. Only now with my superior olfactory it was strong enough to make my four legs so weak I wanted to roll over as I found myself unabashedly purring with delight. My brain swiftly turned to mush amid the thick fog of lust pervading my new canine senses. My wolf body positively hummed its pleasure and I whimpered and panted.

"Well, _h-o-l-y_ crazy mating frenzy!" Quil remarked under his breath, jolting me from my wanton haze. He lifted one brow and murmured out of the side of his mouth to Paul, "Is it my imagination, or did Kim's wolf just eye fuck the shit out of you dude?"

_Oh, Jesus!_ I realized my tongue had lolled out between my jaw and I was wagging my tail at Paul like the overly anxious bitch in heat that I was. _Fuck me, this was so embarrassing!_ Next, I'd probably be trotting over and presenting my ass to him if I didn't get a grip on myself. _This was ridiculous!_ I'd been a she-wolf for all of 30 seconds and already I was salivating over the image of Paul's grey wolf mounting me from behind. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, I heard the distinct sound of what seemed to be a male throat loudly clearing itself inside of my head.

_Excellent!_ I'd gone and morphed into a dog, I'd been hearing the thoughts of two distinctly different Kimmie alter egos inside of my head along with my own, and now a male alter ego was about to join in the party?_ Super! Just super! _Where was a padded cell block when you needed one?

To top it off I was certain I'd done that wacky imprinting thing on Paul… who as of yesterday afternoon _hated_ me. He was looking at me now like he was utterly horrified, possibly…completely repulsed. His scowl had deepened in response to Quil's comment. _Surely he would never want me now_. And naturally, I was more hopelessly in love with him than ever before…and seriously desperate for his big gorgeous grey wolf to mount me from behind.

_Fuck, my life had never been fair!_ Maybe he'd just let me lick him…like in a '_friend wolf_' sort of way…perhaps groom his fur a little? _Gah, I sounded like such a desperate bitch I wanted to cry! _

The male throat cleared itself again inside my crazy head, louder this time. "_Uh…Kim? Kim...Callaway? Is…is that right?"_

_Say what the fuck?_

"_Um…it's me…Seth. Seth Clearwater. Leah's brother? I…uh…think…I think we kinda almost met when you were at my house the other day? Sorry if I was rude…I…uh… wasn't myself…"_

_**OH, MY MOTHERFUCKING GOD AND EVERY LAST HOLY FUCKING SPIRIT WARRIOR! **__I'd completely forgotten about the bizarre Vulcan mind meld phenomenon that occurred in wolf form!_

If I could've screamed I'm sure it would have been loud enough to wake the dead. Instead I yelped and leapt straight up in the air. Then I seriously flipped my wig, running in random patterns back and forth and then in tight circles, ultimately getting distracted trying to catch my own tail. _Oh, my, that really was super annoying. _ It was right there in front of your snout taunting you and yet it was _always_ just beyond reach. The ever-loving cruelty of such a design flaw!

I noticed on my last circle that Jacob was standing next to Quil now, both of them just watching me with stupid, perplexed looks on their faces like they'd never seen a wolf freak out and chase her tail before. _Assholes!_

I heard Seth snort inside my head at that and I freaked out anew. _Ah, shit fuckers, this was awful! _It was no less than my very worst nightmare come true. Who else was listening in on my mind, I wondered?

"_Oh, I think it's just me phased at the moment," _Seth answered back inside my head… despite the fact I hadn't even fucking asked him the question_. "That tail thing is so freaky, right?" _he commiserated.

_Really? That's the part he found freaky in all of this? _How was he so calm and sweet about everything? Hadn't he just phased in front of his mom for the first time only yesterday? Why wasn't anyone there training him? Oh, for the love of Christ, Leah was right. They really were a disorganized band of misfit merry wolf-boys. _Fuck, and now I was one of them! _

Seth chuckled inside my head then went on to explain, _"Embry's training me. But he got this weird imprint bond premonition…or something kooky like that, just a bit ago. So he went and phased to call and check on Bella right before you popped into the picture,"_ he informed me conversationally. _"So…you're like totally freaking out right now, huh?"_ he commented good-naturedly.

_Fucking presumptuous little shithead!_ This creepy, voyeuristic mind meld nonsense was utter bullshit.

"_Geez… sorry!"_ Seth thought back to me without hesitation, making me want to scream my head off my furry shoulders. _"Just trying to help. Hey, and don't worry, I won't say anything to the guys about your…um…well…wolf porn thoughts about Paul." _

He'd said it in such an endearingly polite, sincere manner I knew I should have been feeling grateful that Leah had raised her little brother to be such a sweetheart and a gentleman, and blessed that it was him and not any of the other guys who had witnessed my first initial thoughts after phasing and imprinting on Paul. But I was growing increasingly annoyed by the awkward glances I was receiving from Quil and Jacob, who were looking back and forth between me and Paul now anxiously as I proceeded to run in circles while Paul persisted in gaping at me with that constant, incredulous scowl that seemed permanently etched in his stupid, perfect features.

Fuck, I really, _really_ didn't need anyone listening in on my mental breakdown right now! _Would it be too rude of me to ask Seth to leave me the fuck alone and get out of my damn head already? Could he even do that? How did it all work?_

"_Oh, sorry, Kim. I mean… sure, I guess I could phase out and give you some privacy. I just thought…well…someone should be phased with you to talk you through your first time, you know?" _he admitted shyly_. _

Oh, for fuck's sake, his unwavering kindness was making me feel like the biggest bitch on four legs right now.

He chuckled again. "_Aw, I don't mean to make you feel bad or anything, Kim. I mean, I just phased yesterday and all so what do I know as the new guy, but I was kinda wondering why none of the guys there are phased and talking to you right now._ _You know, like trying to calm you down and train you like they did with me?"_

_Ugh! _Goddamn that sweet Seth Clearwater with his sincere concern and innocent fucking questioning that poked right at my sore spots. Why not simply stab me in a nerve ending and ask why my imprint hates my guts and is scowling at me, looking like he can't decide if he wants to puke or strangle me while I run myself in circles?

"_Oh, Kim, I know he doesn't hate you. You two just need to talk it out is all,"_ Seth sagely informed me in his persistently calm, wise-beyond-his-years manner that made me want to track his scent down so I could claw him across the snout.

He chuckled yet again, revealing kindly, _"I know just how you feel…I was so super aggressive yesterday when I first phased too."_

"_For real?"_ I thought back to him intentionally for the first time since we'd begun this one-side conversation I was an unwilling participant in. _"Seth, you seem like a genuinely cool person and I truly do appreciate you being so sweet," _I professed with sincerity.

"_But seriously, I'm pretty fucking positive you have absolutely no clue what it's like to be a female shape-shifting wolf in heat right now who lost her first and only boyfriend yesterday afternoon only to imprint on him today and have him see me and reject me yet again at my very worst possible moment in life!" _I screamed to him inside my head.

"_Uh…okay…well…sure…"_ he began.

"_And now my best friend is passed out in the dirt, likely traumatized for life, I've got Quil and Jacob staring at me like I'm some kind of freak show, Paul looks like he's so mad he's contemplating euthanizing my wolf, and you're freakin' listening in on my thoughts like it's a perfectly normal activity for you when you've only been at this insanity for less than 24 hours!"_

"_Maybe…maybe I should just phase and get Embry for you?" _he offered_._

"_Maybe you should!" _I screeched back. Great, now I was getting used to this Vulcan mind meld method of communication.

I was nearly forcibly distracted from that train of thought though as without warning all my new animal senses seemed to switch on high alert. My chest jutted out, my shoulders and head shot upright to their full height, and my ears perked up and angled themselves slightly forward. Even my hair was standing on end. _What the deuce? _

"Awe, look at that!" Quil beamed as he studied me. "She's getting all into her wolfy side now." He shared a knowing smile with Jacob, and they both looked back at me like proud parents. "And look, her wolf has blue eyes just like Embry's," he pointed out with a sappy grin.

Oh, my! Was that…was that my _animal_ alter ego I was feeling now? I _did_ feel a growing sense of a feral nature emerging within.

"Yeah, and she's got one great coat of fur, that's for sure," Jacob complimented. "I am _so_ jealous right now, man," he admitted to Quil, shaking his head as his eyes scanned over me. "So _shiny!_"

Quil quirked one brow but made no comment.

My wolf snout began eagerly sniffing around at the air as if it had a mind all its own. _Great_...all I needed was to inhale more delicious Paul scent right now. But no, there was another distant, distinctive scent that my wolf was picking up on. It was _quite_ different… it was _stinky_… _repulsive_.

_Ewe! What the fuck was that? _Suddenly I felt driven by some deeply rooted compulsion to seek out the source of the unholy stench. It was reminiscent of what Alison had described as cheap stripper perfume when we'd been out at a club in LA one night. She'd complained that few things offended her sensibilities more than a woman who would douse herself in something that smelled like liquefied cotton candy just to mask the rancid stink of her well-used, sweaty crotch.

Little Kimmie started wailing then…literally _wailing_ inside of me. I felt her utter devastation. The crushing realization that she was actually _the Beast_ rather than _Beauty_ was apparently not sitting well with her. She seemed desperately inconsolable, her thoughts frantic and hysterical as she was quite obviously uncomfortable with our new form…and with the awakening animal nature inherent within it.

_Well it was no winning fucking lotto ticket for me either! _ Her reaction, and the timing of it, however, made me itch to whack her with a can. Bloody hell, she was as eternally annoying in her hopeless frailty as the wrong Kimmie was captivating in her incomparable fearlessness.

Thankfully wrong Kimmie took that moment to resurface and growl at little Kimmie to be quiet and get out of the way. And she did. Little Kimmie seemed to recoil and vanish entirely in fact. Almost _too _suddenly, giving me the peculiar impression she was actually running away from something, more than simply reacting to the wrong Kimmie's harsh scolding.

But I was sidetracked from those thoughts as I heard my name spoken aloud and realized Jacob and Quil had begun whisper arguing, seemingly about me. Wrong Kimmie settled momentarily into the background again.

"Well you've been a wolf longer than I have," Quil reasoned.

"_Yeah_, by like a whole day!" Jacob contended.

"Well, _you're_ supposed to be the true Alpha, and _somebody_ here needs to get her wolf to submit following the initial phase, that's all I know." He stole a look back over at Paul, who seemed to be caught in a weird trance. Quil rolled his eyes and muttered, "Our mighty Beta doesn't seem to be in any shape to do it right now, so that makes it _your_ job."

"Dude, I just took several hits to the face, okay? Why am I the one who has to do everything around here?"

"Well, I don't wanna fucking hurt Kim!" Quil grumbled.

"Oh, and like I do?" Jacob insisted. There was a pause as they faced off. Then Jacob suggested, "Rock-paper-scissors?"

Quil shrugged and they proceeded to roshambo to see who would get the awkward task of dominating my wolf. _Oh good grief, our tribe was really in trouble!_ Now Jacob was trying to argue that paper didn't beat rock when Quil 'papered' his rock.

"It does too beat rock, dumbass," Quil quipped. "Otherwise, paper would beat nothing and no one would ever draw paper, because they'd immediately lose every time."

I shook my muzzle in disbelief. Turned out Leah was actually the sane one to be stockpiling explosive muffins for protection against the vampires.

"_Oh, please don't tell her that. She doesn't need anymore encouragement," _Seth groaned.

I almost jumped ten feet in the air. _"What the fuck, Seth? Quit doing that! I thought you phased out to get Embry?"_

"_I did I did, he's coming. He couldn't reach Bella anyway. Just stay calm Kim. He's trying to get hold of Sam first. What's going on over there?"_

"_I AM calm!" _I shrieked. I let my mind replay the scene of Quil and Jacob arguing and playing roshambo to see who got to force my wolf into submission. I could tell Seth got the message when I saw another quick replay of it, including Seth's own thoughts and recognition of the humor of the situation mirrored back to me, causing me to giggle in response through the mind link. _Weird._ I was sort of getting the hang of this telepathy. Seth was full out laughing now. It was pretty hard not to like him.

I was becoming increasingly more uncomfortable though with that smell in the distance. It seemed to be irritating my wolf, as if it was literally getting under my fur and making my insides crawl. Hesitantly I asked, "_Seth, um…there's this horrid trashy perfume stink somewhere in the distant wood. It feels like it's freaking my wolf out. Do our wolves hate artificial scents or something?" _

"_Shit. For real, Kim?" _

Before I could answer I felt a slight buzzing sensation in my head and then suddenly I was assaulted by the sound of wolves howling from all directions.

"Aw, fuck," Quil griped as he quickly dropped his shorts right in front of me. Jacob immediately followed suit.

_Oh, Jesus! Did I need to see every penis in the pack? Were all guys this big? Or just the La Push He-Men? _I heard numerous male throats clearing and coughing inside my head. _Great_.

"_Gross, Kimbo!" _Embry groaned_. "Geez…is this what I have to look forward to sharing a mind link with my sister?"_ he teased. "_Man, welcome to the pack!"_ he laughingly exclaimed. He sounded genuinely happy about it. _"You doing okay? Are you freaking out? I can hardly believe this!"_

Surprisingly, I found I was so relieved and elated to hear Embry inside my head I forgot to be embarrassed or weirded out. Quil and Jacob phased in front of me and soon I was privy to their now ongoing mind link debate over who should dominate my wolf. I noted they were a lot bigger than I was in my wolf form, and I couldn't help but feel just a little intimidated and nervous now about the notion of either of them getting me to submit. _What did it actually entail anyway?_ Would they bite me?

"_No one will hurt you, Kim," _Sam's authoritative voice resonated through the mind link. Somehow his reassurance did make me feel more at ease. But he sounded less sure of himself as he asked of no one in particular, _"What the hell's wrong with Paul? Why hasn't he phased yet?" _

"_Kim, you look absolutely gorgeous, angel!" _Jared's deep voice suddenly purred inside my head._ "Just…wow, baby… are you alright?" _I saw through Jared's mind my very first view of myself in wolf form. He appeared to be seeing me through Jacob and Quil's eyes_. _It was all so confusing, yet at the same time, this mind connection seemed totally natural and I was starting to feel like it made perfect sense to communicate this way. _Clearly I was demented_.

I had no way of knowing if the image of my wolf that I was seeing through Jared's mind was accurate or distorted by his love-struck, rose-colored point of view, but I was oddly pleased with the way I looked in wolf form. Not at all the hideous mutt I'd expected. I was covered in a beautiful jet black fur with patches of snowy white fur interspersed throughout. _Or was it more white fur with black patches?_ I couldn't really tell. I seemed to be equal parts black and white fur. Even on my face, which appeared to be divided at an odd angle into half white and half black.

"_You're positively stunning, sweetheart,"_ Jared gushed.

"_Kim imprinted on Paul,"_ Seth announced, a bit loudly, in response to Sam's previous question. _"I think it freaked him out."_

"_Cool, so that's what all the slobbering and eye fucking was about,"_ Quil mused casually.

A cacophony of reactions erupted throughout the mind meld, overwhelming me. I sensed a disbelief and utter devastation from Jared that was fairly heartrending in its intensity. I received congratulations from Jacob, along with a snippet of his own private thoughts related to the statistical data on the increasing number of teen pregnancies on reservations across the country, followed by his anger and resentment over Embry's imprinting on Bella, which he was still struggling to accept. Then he went back to mulling over how impossibly shiny my coat was.

Seth's views on the topic remained mostly quiet and neutral. Quil's mind appeared to be preoccupied cataloguing images of breasts in various shapes and sizes and stages of undress.

From Embry I sensed mostly panic and fear for my wellbeing at first, but then his thoughts morphed into hope that the imprint bond would help resolve the current discord between Paul and me. And I could feel that he genuinely did like Paul, despite his reservations.

Sam's reaction was the most confusing of all. Much like Embry had been, he seemed panicked at first on my behalf, followed by a sense of dread and anxiety on his own behalf and then a growing sense of relief, as if a tremendous burden was about to be lifted from his shoulders. This was followed by happy thoughts of being able to devote more time and energy to his relationship with Leah. I even saw images in his mind of starting a family and growing his construction business and I briefly wondered what any of it had to do with my imprinting on Paul.

Jared's steadfast state of desolation seemed to dissipate momentarily; his attention sharply diverted elsewhere. _"Fuck…anybody else smell that?"_

"_I meant to tell you, Kim smelled trashy perfume earlier,"_ Seth interjected. _"Is that what the bloodsuckers smell like?" _

"_I've got it!" _Jared growled. I could see through the mind link he was quickly moving through the trees, following the trail of the scent he'd picked up_. _

"_Jake, stay and look after Kim and Maggie. Quil, Embry, back Jared and me up. Seth, stay where you are and remain phased. And Jake, bite Paul in the ass or something and send him after us."_

"_Maggie?" _Jared asked, clearly confused. Quil flashed a humorously over-dramatized version of the image of Maggie screaming and then fainting. I could feel Jared's distress. _"What the…?"_

"_We thought she'd phase next," _Sam commented succinctly as he flew through the forest. In his mind's eye I saw him coming up to run alongside Jared's chestnut wolf._ "Tried to speed things up...but turns out we had the wrong wolf."_

Jared's feelings became too fuzzy to read then. So I was surprised when the next thought he apologetically announced through the link was, _"Ah, fuck…I'm picking up Embry's scent now." _

The mind meld fell eerily silent, yet I felt strong waves of empathy directed at Embry from his pack brothers. I didn't understand what it meant as it had seemed clear to me through their minds that Embry's wolf was further away than even Quil's was to catching up to Sam and Jared. _Why would Jared smell Embry? And why would that be so upsetting to everyone?_

I didn't have long to ponder it though because instantaneously I felt Embry's gut wrenching anguish as surely as if I'd been pierced through my own heart. _"No, no, no fuck no! Bella, Bella…NO!" _his mind howled at a decibel of emotional pain I could scarcely comprehend. I had absolutely no frame of reference for such torment.

_Or did I? _

There was no gradual ascent this time. Zero forewarning. I was relegated to a position as background noise faster than my supernatural wolf legs could spring forward into action. Whereas previously it had felt like I'd at least had a partial choice in giving up leadership to wrong Kimmie, this time there was none. I was simply demoted.

Not a glance was even spared in Paul's direction as wrong Kimmie and my inner she-wolf instantly blended and molded together as one…into the perfect marriage of pure rage and supernatural, feral power. Combined they were simply one fucking badass, wrong alpha she-wolf. From my now much smaller perspective within my own mind, I knew just two things for certain from my wrong wolf's point of view…

_All who __smelled__ of stripper perfume would die_. _And we would submit to __**no one**__._

I barely registered growling out a warning before I charged Jacob's wolf and took him down for the second time that day. I might've heard Sam try to alpha command me before I took out an innocent Quil…simply for being in my way and not moving fast enough. I definitely noted how fast I seemed to be heading towards my ultimate target as the worst smell I'd ever scented assaulted my sensitive canine olfactory with an increased intensity that caused me to gag. _Jesus, how could anything possibly smell so putridly pungent in the open outdoors? _

But while I gagged in discomfort, little Kimmie shrieked and balled her eyes out, begging us to turn back. Her terror was almost strong enough to make our wolf's steps falter. _Almost_. And that was the moment I realized, I had to take sides.

If I wasn't with wrong Kimmie and our wolf, I was working against them…I was holding them back. I was no better than annoyingly fearful little Kimmie. _I didn't like that_. Once I gave in and aligned my thoughts in favor of team Wrong Wolf's, my perspective of everything started to become clearer.

In Sam's head I saw the source of the god awful cotton candy stench that lay ahead. _What. The. Hell?_ Huh…vampires seriously didn't even try to keep a low profile. Through Sam's mind I saw Bella standing in a clearing in the woods engaged in what appeared to be a pretty awkward conversation with some Rastafarian old guy sporting major dreads, red irises and some 80's circa nightmare outfit Boy George and Prince might've fought over. Ewe, and he was talking to her all creepy, acting like he thought he was all sexy and invading her space, putting his fingerless motorcycle gloved hands on her face and shit.

_Oh, hell no! That creeper was not eating my brother's imprint…uh-uh! _

"_Kill him!"_ Embry screamed inside my head at Jared and Sam. I could see in Embry's mind how fast he was flying through the trees at breakneck speed trying to get to the clearing in time to save his girl.

_I was closer though_. I could smell them just ahead. I was pretty sure I could take that cold fucker down singlehandedly. _And I wanted to take him down_. Wrong Kimmie wanted to hurt something. And the supernatural wolf within me needed to kill whatever was causing that horrendous stench and threatening our brother's imprint.

"_Patience! He's on Cullen land, Embry,"_ Sam thought back to him apologetically. "_The Treaty…we have to wait until we're sure he's a threat. It looks as if she knows him." _

"_FUCKING KILL HIM ALREADY!" _Embry roared in anguish_. "He's touching my Bella!"_

I could feel the strength of Embry's anger through his thoughts; hear his inner fear and panic at the prospect of something so hideously foul and twisted being so near his soul mate. He didn't need to convince _me_. I was fully on board with killing that fucker.

"_No, Kim!"_ Sam thought forcefully to me. _"Stay back! Stop and stay right where you are," _he ordered in that scary alpha tone I'd heard him throw about before. My four legs kept sprinting forward. If anything they were moving faster now.

And what Treaty was he talking about?What the hell were Sam and Jared fucking waiting for anyway?Did he need to pull a business card engraved with "Bloodsucker" from that god awful shiny purple zoot suit he was wearing for them to know he was like legit gonna suck Bella dry any second now?_ Land sakes his eyes were blood red and he was staring at her like she was steak tartare! _It wasn't rocket science what was bound to happen next.

As the clearing came into view I felt my wolf instincts rising to the forefront along with wrong Kimmie as I sprinted forward, greedy for battle and eager to exact vengeance on that fashion emergency parasite that dared threaten my brother's imprint. I was going to tear that Terminator T-1000 model to pieces so small they'd never re-assemble themselves.

"_Stop her, Jared!"_ I heard Sam order.

A millisecond later Jared's chestnut wolf was in front of me, blocking my path to the clearing. _"Sweetheart, you've got to stay back,"_ he implored mind meld style. _"It's too dangerous for a new wolf, honey. I don't want to hurt you so please, please stop, Kim."_

I didn't think I wanted to hurt Jared either. Like I hadn't wanted to harm Jake or Quil. So I was caught off guard when suddenly I felt the wrong Kimmie's anger spike drastically at Jared's presence and his words. Then she started growling. _Oh, my! _It seemed as if wrong Kimmie really didn't like Jared! _Huh?_

Her thoughts of him came through loud and clear as they snarled through my mind so forcefully I was positive Jared and everyone else in the mind link heard them. _Never fucking noticed us! All those years… not even a fucking hello when we were sitting right next to him in class. Too little… too fucking late! _And just like that, Jared was dismissed…figuratively stamped with the label "jackass" across the forehead and filed away by wrong Kimmie under _un-forgiven_.

If a wolf muzzle was capable of expressing shock, I'm pretty sure Jared's did at that very moment as he stood stiffly in our path, staring blankly as our wolf barreled right into him, throwing him well out of our way.

"_Shit!"_ I heard Sam remark in shock.

"_Holy fuck!"_ Embry chimed in.

"_Fuck, fuck, fuck…"_ I heard Sam's thoughts ramble as I came upon his black wolf hidden in the tree line bordering the clearing just ahead. His muzzle whipped back and forth between my swiftly approaching animal figure and Bella and the vampire, as if debating what to do. My wrong wolf made the decision easy for him. _She charged forward and simply took his ass out too. _

Then my focus was all on the vampire, who mumbled something along the lines of "_I don't believe it_" as he saw me leap through the air and into the clearing…_straight at him_. He looked uncommonly stricken for someone who was dead already as he turned and made a run for it. _Idiot! _My claw caught in his dreads as they swung up through the air to trail behind him. Strangely the greatest shock of all was when his entire head of impressive dreadlocked hair came right off in my paw. _Omigod, he was wearing a wig!_ _For real?_ It was bad enough he was the bloodsucking undead… _but a fucking poser as well?_ I was really going to enjoy shredding him.

He shot into the woods faster than a rocket on two legs. Too bad for him it turned out my wolf form was even faster as we caught him easily, my wolf instinctively lunging up and going straight for the kill as we quite literally ripped his shiny stone head right off his shoulders with our razor sharp jaws. I don't think I so much as even chipped an incisor in the process, either. _Damn, this wolf shit was cool!_

"_No fucking way!" _Quil voiced in reaction inside my head. _"That was so fucking money, girl!"_

"_I __**so**__ cannot believe he was wearing such a bad wig either!"_ Jacob intoned with disgust.

"_I'm speechless,"_ Seth joined in. _"Is this how all female minds work? Like you're on a three-way call with different versions of yourself inside your own head all the time? Wow…that explains so much…" _

The headless vampire body stumbled, from the initial shock, I suspect, but then he kept on running, like the creepy zombie beast he was. So I tossed the head back in Sam's direction. _Let scary Sam take care of that ugly mug_, I thought, as I took off in pursuit of his stubborn vamp body. It was quite comical actually. Vampire slaying was vastly more entertaining of a sport than I'd ever suspected it might be as I watched his headless form bump into trees and trip over branches trying to get away. I didn't watch him for long though; I was too anxious to test out the effectiveness of my claws next. They did _not_ disappoint.

As it turned out, wolf claws were fucking awesome! I was in total awe of my own set of supernatural talons as wrong Kimmie, the wolf and I swiftly took his stone frame down, much to the delight of the peanut gallery that was Quil, Seth and Jacob's wolves now cheering inside my head, and proceeded to shred and dismember it, probably far beyond a point which was necessary. But I was completely enthralled and couldn't help myself. It was totally like a hot knife through butter kind of deal. Or maybe more like a _Ginsu_ knife through a metal can in one of those old school infomercials. "_And it can __**still**__ slice a tomato paper thin!_" I thought to myself in the cheesy infomercial announcer's voice. Shit, I was cracking up. I was seriously losing my damn mind, giggling uncontrollably now inside my head, bits of shiny purple zoot suit flying about as I tore the sparkly marble beast into teeny tiny Skittle-sized pieces. _Taste my rainbow, asshole_.

"_Kimbo."_ I heard Em chuckle inside my head. _"Kimbo…Kimbo…"_ His voice sounded oddly thick with emotion, like he was crying, despite his laughter. _"Just when I think I couldn't love you any more than I already do, you go and do the cheesy 80's Ginsu guy voice inside your head while dismembering the leech that tried to kill my Bella. Ah, god, I seriously fucking love you, dude." _His voice cracked a little, causing a lump to form in my own throat.

"_Thanks, Em,"_ I thought back shyly. I was feeling a little emotional myself; a bit shaky and overwhelmed by everything, the initial angry rush from dismembering demon spawn dissipating now along with the wrong Kimmie's presence as I saw the confetti-sized sparkly pieces that used to be a vampire littering the ground all around me. Sam had phased to his human form and was about 20 feet away from me now. He'd started a little bonfire out of the severed head and other larger pieces I'd scattered behind during my crazed massacre.

I felt Embry's relief and eternal gratitude as his wolf stealthily followed a ways behind Bella while she stumble-trip-ran her way back through the woods. _"I'm gonna phase and run after Bella... make sure she doesn't get lost in the woods. But then I'll be right back. Will you be okay?" _

"_Sure. Go on…I'm fine." _I broadcast back to Embry over the shared mind-wave frequency. "_I…I really love you too, Em."_ I could have sworn I felt his grin just before he seemed to vanish from the link.

And then, unbidden, my mind betrayed me as thoughts of how I'd shyly admitted to loving Paul in the woods replayed in my head. The bitter memory of how he'd scowled back at me in response after I'd admitted to everything he'd wanted me to say sliced at my heart. _Was my wolf crying now?_ I was suddenly reminded of everything I'd quietly been hoping to forget when I'd taken off running in pursuit of the distracting, awful smell.

_Paul didn't love me. He didn't want me._ His grey wolf hadn't claimed me. He'd compared me to his cheating mother yesterday in the woods. _My own imprint had rejected me_. He'd scowled at me in wolf form like I was disgusting to him. He hated me. _He didn't want me_. The horrible realization of my supreme rejection crashed down upon me all at once and I became hysterical. _Could a wolf hyperventilate?_

Even more embarrassing was the pitying reactions I started to feel and hear from the other wolves in my head. _Oh, my god, this was all so humiliating!_

And then I really freaked when I heard Quil think clearly, _"That shit's cold, Paul. Why you gotta be such a dick? Kimbo's badass."_

_Paul?_ I saw Paul's grey wolf through Quil's eyes in the mind link. _Paul was phased too?_ He'd been hearing the same things the rest of them had in my head all this time? _Why hadn't I felt or heard him like I had the others? Oh, my god! And he hadn't bothered talking to me this whole time. He really hated me! Was his wolf trying to sneak up on me and attack me? Why else wouldn't he let his presence be known? _

"_He sneaks up on everyone, Kim, that's his M.O.," _Quil advised in answer to my unspoken question. _"He's a master at mind-fucking."_

I both saw and heard Paul growl at Quil through the mind link before I heard him order,_ "Jacob, Seth, Quil…phase out. Now!" _And then my peanut gallery was gone.

"_Kimmie?" _Paul's deep, silky voice bounced around in my head. With just one word, I could feel my insides already turning to mush_. I fucking hated him. _

"_Baby, please just listen to me, okay? I know you're upset. And I'm so, so, sorry about my reaction before. It just… took me a minute… to process everything." _He cleared his throat awkwardly._ "I'm…I'm not always as…smooth…as you might think…with this stuff. Please? Please try and understand?"_

He sounded sincere enough, and certainly remorseful. Then just as I felt myself wavering, he chortled heartily and I felt his sheer joy and amusement through the mind link as I saw a visual of my wolf self in his mind, looking him over and panting with my tongue hanging out like an anxious bitch, then running in circles chasing my own tail like an idiot. _ "C'mon, I haven't exactly ever been imprinted on before…or eye fucked by a sexy she-wolf in heat. How am I supposed to know how to react?" _he teased_. _

Oh, my god! Was he actually laughing and making jokes about all of this? Did he think this was all funny?

"_You're an asshole,"_ came Jared's quiet, embittered assessment. _"I can't fucking believe you're her imprint." _He sounded beyond incensed._ "Something's wrong… it's a mistake. The spirit warriors would never be so cruel."_

"_Take a hint and fuck off, Jared!"_ Paul spat back. _"Didn't you hear? Her angry wolf doesn't like you."_

"_Fuck you! She was just upset and worried about Bella!" _Jared argued_. "She didn't mean it."_

"_Phase back and go check on Maggie," Paul growled. "That's an order!" _

And then Jared was gone. My stomach flipped. My breath started coming in quicker pants. I felt more apprehensive now than I had facing the vampire.

"_Please don't be scared, baby, it's just me." _

I took off running at those words. I didn't know or care where I was going_. I just needed distance. _

"_Fuck, don't do that, Kim. Everything will be fine now. Just let me explain." _

Before I could respond I heard Sam answer on my behalf. _"Paul, you're making things worse," _Sam warned_. "She's upset. Just give her some space. Let me handle this." _I hadn't even noticed he'd phased back.

"_She's __**mine**__," _Paul snarled_. "We're imprinted. Nobody 'handles' her wolf but me." _He sounded every bit the arrogant, possessive asshole.

_How fucking dare he?_

"_You've been a total dick of an imprint so far, Paul. Just back off. Let me calm her down and help her phase, and you can talk to her later," _Sam offered_. "She's too distraught right now. You'll only make her more upset. You're the whole reason she's running away right now."_

"_Stay out of this, Sam," _Paul growled_. _

"_No, no I won't. Kim's my pack…my responsibility, and I'm not going to let you bully or upset her anymore than you already have. Embry and I will look after Kim." _

"_No!"_

"_Paul, I'm alpha-ordering you to phase and leave Kim alone for the rest of the day. If she wants to see you or speak to you, we'll call you."_

Paul snorted._ "Don't be an ass, Sam. Your commands don't work on me and we both know it. Just like we both know this pack is rightfully mine now, and I can take control of it anytime I want to," _Paul threatened_. "Is that what you really want?"_

_What? What was he talking about?_

Sam chuckled_. "Ah, Lahote… so predictable. I love how you only take responsibility when it benefits you. Either you take on the job of being Alpha or you don't. You need to understand it's not a temporary commitment you can assume in order to use your authority to manipulate your present situation with Kim."_

Paul growled aggressively. I saw through Sam's eyes that Paul's grey wolf had approached him and that they were circling one another menacingly.

"_Christ, you really are being a dick, you know that?" _Sam remarked casually_. "This isn't the way to win Kim over. You know that too, right?"_

"_There's no winning over to be done," _Paul scoffed_. "She's __**mine**__. She imprinted on __**me**__, not Jarhead," _he boasted_. "Game over. I win."_

Sam started chuckling, and then his chuckles became full blown cackles until it sounded like he was wheezing for air he was laughing so uproariously through the mind meld. I slowed my strides, listening in more closely in concern as it sounded like Sam had gone completely over the deep end or something. _Was he okay?_

"_Ah, hell…this is seriously the funniest shit I've ever heard!" _he gasped_. "Could you possibly know any less about women? Have you learned absolutely nothing from seeing inside my head my imprint situation with Leah?"_ he asked, incredulous.

Paul's mind seemed puzzled for a moment, but then he snarled derisively, _"That's just Leah, Sam… she's always been a bitch."_

I was a little surprised when Sam didn't show any sign of being upset over Paul's comment about Leah. Instead he started laughing again. _"I know. Leah __**is**__ a bitch…" _he began wheezing and had to pause to get his thoughts together before continuing,_ "she's one of the very best bitches around, in fact." _

He cleared his throat, gathered himself, and sighed deeply. "_But Kim's a supernatural shape-shifting bitch, Paul. She just shredded a vampire and gave almost every member of my pack a beat down within her first ten minutes of phasing. Fuck me I never realized until this very moment what a keen sense of poetic justice and humor those Spirit Warriors have." _He snorted_. "And you __**still**__ don't even have a clue that the battle of your life has only just begun."_

**A/N – Silly Paul… it's a lifelong effort winning over and holding a woman's affection. **_**Duh!**_** Thanks so much for reading & for all the wonderful reviews! :) **

**Paul fights Sam for position as Alpha in Part II. Embry phases back into the picture to lend brotherly support, Jared finally looks Maggie in the eye, and we meet Kim's cousin Bennett. **

_**Oh, and rest assured...the groveling from Paul hasn't even begun! That's all in Part II.**_


	24. Chapter 24  Who's your Alpha? Part 2

**A/N – So this update is later than I wanted it to be. My little guy got sick and required lots of mommy time. Then it seemed everything was either on fire or threatening to blow up at work. And then the FF site was malfunctioning and wouldn't let me upload to the Doc Manager! And while I'm bitching, I'll mention the fact that after I posted direct links to the gorgeous chapter banners WestcoastAngel made for Wrong Wolf, the FF folks decided to disable everyone's links on their profile pages. Seriously, can I catch a break soon please? :|**

**In case you missed it, I posted my Jared/Kim smut, **_**The Peesh Whisperer Strikes Back**_** (just look away Notashamedtobe… **_**look away!**_**), last weekend as a separate outtake. **

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, favorite's and alerts! **

**Disclaimer****: Not that madwoman. Not sure how or why I've come to be so obsessed with re-writing her characters and story line. **

Surprisingly, witnessing the battle between Paul and Sam for position of Alpha second hand through the mind meld proved vastly more confusing and surreal than even getting a second hand play by play from Embry of the Paul and Jared fight for Beta in my backyard had been. I was seriously lost trying to decipher what the heck was going on through the flurried snippets of activity I was able to draw from their minds. I came to conclude it was likely because they were shielding their thoughts so much in an effort to withhold strategy and anticipated attack maneuvers from one another. I kept on running the entire time, stopping or slowing only briefly whenever one or both of them would growl or howl so loudly it would startle me, causing me to fear someone had seriously been hurt. _My nerves were so fucking shot_.

For the most part they seemed to be fairly equally matched physically. I couldn't tell through their briefly flashed images if one of their wolves had a physical size advantage. It seemed Paul might've been the better fighter and strategist but I wasn't entirely convinced Sam really wanted to win. Sam's mind proved far easier for me to read than Paul's. And from what I was able to glean from his thoughts, I sensed Sam was warring more with himself over his feelings of pack responsibility and his personal desires and obligation to Leah. I was somewhat touched by how much he seemed to factor me into this equation as well. He appeared to be especially conflicted over whether it would be the right thing for me if Paul were to be my Alpha.

There was a lot of shit talking in general and in particular arguing back and forth over Sam's failure to stop me from taking apart that vamp in the purple zoot suit. Paul felt strongly that Sam had failed in his duty to protect me as a newly phased wolf, making him ill equipped to be my Alpha. Sam countered that Paul had choked over the imprint and was busy standing around looking like an idiot next to Maggie's unconscious body while he was the one trying to actually stop me from interfering in the meadow. Sam bet Paul that I could take his wolf down just as easily as I'd taken down Sam's and taunted that he couldn't wait to witness it first hand.

Ultimately it seemed Sam was clearly baiting Paul, egging him on in order to incite his anger to the point of combustion. And that was when I knew the outcome had already been determined. On a primal level Sam's wolf seemed to acknowledge that Paul's was always meant to be Alpha. On a human level, it seemed as if Sam the man had just been waiting for Paul to step up and prove himself responsible enough so that Sam could be comfortable passing the torch.

The irony was he still didn't seem at all convinced about Paul's level of responsibility. But what he did seem to finally find comfort with was his faith in _**my**_ ability to handle Paul and keep his wolf in line! I had to wonder if the man wasn't completely insane.

When Sam's wolf finally howled in anguish and I got a flashed visual of human Sam's nasty torn up shoulder, I knew for certain it was over, and I quickened my pace exponentially. _I knew Paul was coming for me next. _

I could barely sense his presence through the mind link, but I didn't need a mind link or supernatural wolf instincts to know he was bound to be hot on my heels, hell bent and determined to chase me down. I was the whole reason he'd just fought Sam for Alpha. I was the reason Sam now had a torn up shoulder. I wondered sadly whether it would leave a scar. How soon before it healed?

I was sprinting through the forest like mad, trying to hold myself together and not completely panic when I felt that weird tingling sensation in my head and got the sense that Embry had just re-joined the mind connection. My intuition was confirmed when I heard him complain,_ "Fuck! Paul's Alpha now? Super."_

"_Em!" _I was pretty frickin euphoric to have Embry back in my head just then.

"_Right here, Kimbo! Where are you? Are you okay? Oh, wow…you're still running. Shit, you're going pretty fast. I'm coming after you as quick as I can, okay?"_

"_Kay." _I unconsciously flashed him my worried thoughts and visual of Sam's shoulder_._

"_Aw, don't worry, he'll be fine," _Embry assured me dismissively_. "Sam's seen worse, trust me."_

I breathed a figurative sigh of relief_. "Sure?" _

"_Positive. Oh, and Kim," _Embry chuckled_, "it's a good thing your angry brain doesn't have any romantic feelings for Jared, 'cause I'm pretty positive he just imprinted on your buddy Mags. So is that like a left brain, right brain kind of thing, by the way?"_

Through Embry's memory I saw clearly a vision of Jared holding an unconscious Maggie in his arms, trying to get her to come to. Then as Maggie opened her eyes and in her bewilderment looked up at Jared, Jared's eyes flew wide and his mouth fell open. Then it closed. Then it opened. He looked like a damn fish as he continued to stare at her as if the fact she had a face was blowing his mind. It looked like he might've even drooled on her a little bit as his mouth gaped open again. And then he grinned… the biggest, brightest toothy grin I'd ever seen… _even for Jared_. Maggie looked pretty confused and freaked out. Jared began stroking her cheek with the back of his knuckles and her eyes widened in horror just as he lowered his mouth to hers. She started to thrash and struggle in his arms as he kissed her, and finally she whacked both of his ears simultaneously with her open palms. It startled him enough to release her face he'd been holding and then she hit him with a double fisted punch to his solar plexus. She shook her injured fists out as she swore in agony and then as she was progressing to her next self-defense maneuver, getting ready to poke him in both eyes, Embry seemed to turn his head away in the memory.

Embry's own inner commentary in that moment replayed through the mind link as well as he sighed and thought, _"Another rocky, fucked up imprint. I'm seriously the Spirit Warriors' favorite." _

"_I knew it," _Paul reveled through the mind meld in response to Embry's vision. Once again, his sneaking up on me in my head made me jump. That shit was getting on my last nerve_. _

"_Well, 'lo to you too," _Embry muttered sarcastically, followed by a mumbled_, "mind shielding son-of-a-bitch."_

"_I fucking knew he never really imprinted on my Kimmie!" _Paul gloated_._

"_Well neither did you!" _I shout-thought backin irritation_. "And I'm not __**your**__ anything anymore!"_

"_But I'm your imprint, baby," _he argued_. "I must've been picking up on your latent inner wolf's deep desire for me all this time," _he chuckled._ "While Jared was simply following his inner bloodhound and sniffing out the new hot she-wolf of our pack. Ass!"_

"_I hate you." _I hadn't really meant to think it so clearly back to him but it just slipped out. I was upset.

"_Aw, sweetie, I know you don't mean that. Just give me a chance to explain some things."_

"_Oh, contraire, mon frère," _Embry interjected_, "I'm pretty sure she does mean it. Kick his sorry ass, Kim!" _

"_Stay out of this, Embry!" _Paul warned_. "C'mon on, baby? I'm so, so sorry. Please, please just stop running? Let me get close to you. Let me look after you." _

"_I'm fine!"_ I grumbled. _"I don't need you to look after me. I can take care of myself. Or haven't you noticed?" _

"_That's right, you tell him, dude!"_ Embry encouraged. _"You don't have to do anything you don't want to, just remember that."_

"_Shut the fuck up, Embry!" _Paul snarled at him_. "Sweetie, I'm not trying to upset you. I know I've been an ass and I'm so, so sorry for everything! Just stop running and let me explain."_

"_Make him grovel, Kimbo! Don't forgive his sorry ass. Think about what a dick he was to you yesterday," _Embry provoked_. "He didn't even offer to help you home when you were stranded in the woods barefoot with glass in your feet. And __**now**__ he's concerned about looking after you? Now that you're a badass, shape-shifting she-wolf capable of supernaturally fast healing? Tell him to sell that shit to Gabby."_

"_Fucking shut it, I'm warning you, Embry!"_ I could feel Paul's anger and frustration spiking. But he still made his thoughts gentler as he directed them at me. _"Baby, please understand, I really don't want to have to use an Alpha command on you to make you stop, but I will if that's what's necessary to keep you safe. So I'm asking you one last time to please, please stop running and stay where you are." _

"_How magnanimous of you!" Embry mocked. "I'd like to see you try and Alpha command her," he challenged._ _"Her wolf hasn't submitted to anyone in this pack yet, so that means technically you're not her fucking Alpha. Go on and give it your best shot,"_ he scorned. _"Let's just see what effect it has on her."_

What? What did Embry mean by that? I could feel Paul's anger boiling over now.

"_Kim," _Embry rushed in, thinking to me so fast I could scarcely keep up_, "he's not your Alpha until either he or a lower ranking wolf in his pack gets your wolf to physically submit or until you simply accept him as your ranking superior. Until then he can't order you to do shit."_

"_Shut up, Embry!" _Paul roared.

"_So you just keep running, man," _Embry persisted at breakneck speed._ "I'll catch up with you eventually and then I'll help you phase back, okay? You don't have to join the pack until you're ready. You can be a rogue wolf for a day or two until we figure this out. That imprinting bungee cord pull around your heart is a bitch I know, but it won't kill you for a few days."_

"_What the fuck is wrong with you, Embry? I'm trying to protect her! You think it's safe for Kim to be a lone she-wolf in heat running around on her own without a pack to look out for her?" _

There was silence and I felt a slight sense of fear wash over Embry's mind, as if he was considering Paul's point. Then he seemed to shake it off. "_Whatever," _he scorned_. "Kim took down Sam, Jared, Quil, and Jacob's wolves and single-handedly shredded a vampire." _He snorted_. "I think you're just scared you're about to find out not only are you the i-m-p-r-i-n-t-e-e," _he dragged the word out like it was the greatest joke or insult of all_, "but that Kim's actually the rightful Alpha of this pack."_

I heard, and rather _felt_, a deep feral growl reverberate through the mind link then. There was no doubt it came from Paul.

"_Personally," _Embry continued to press his luck_, "I can't fucking wait for my badass Alpha she-wolf sister to show her cocky imprint exactly what his position is now." _

His tone was ripe with sarcasm as Paul delivered his next thoughts to Embry. _"You're right, I am the imprintee," _he stated smugly. "_And I know __**exactly **__what position that puts me in with __**my**__ Alpha she-wolf…who just happens to be in heat. Phase back, Embry,"_ Paul ordered. _"__**Now**__!"_

A shiver ran down my spine at the sound of his Alpha command. _Oh, shit!_ I wasn't quite as confident as Embry that Paul's Alpha order thingamajig wouldn't automatically work on me too.

There was total silence. I felt a rush of panic and desolation at the loss of Embry's support, knowing I was completely alone now to contend with a manipulative Paul inside my head. He was obviously still shielding his thoughts from me because I couldn't hear him or see anything that he was thinking or doing. I had no idea where he was in relation to me in the forest. No clue how close he might be to catching me. Or what he would do when he did. Involuntary whimpers began escaping me. _Christ, I sounded more like a puppy than a vampire slaying wolf._ I had to pull my shit together! This was all kinds of embarrassing. _Where was the angry wrong Kimmie now when I needed her to protect me? _

"_Sweetie, c'mon, you know better than to be scared of me. I'd never ever hurt you," _he thought tenderly to me. _"I just want to get close to you, baby. I need to be near you right now… you have no idea how badly."_

I startled and pressed my legs faster. This whole business of having Paul listen in on my thoughts and sneak up on me in my head was freaking me out. And what did he mean he'd never hurt me? Asshole had hurt me plenty in just the last 24 hours!

"_Baby, you have to believe me, I am so, so sorry! C'mon, just let me get close to you, please? It's killing me that you're running away from me. Let me come hold you and explain things? I really need to check on you and make sure you're okay, angel. Please? Please, just stop for me?" _

_Fuck, it was tempting_. But I forced myself to focus on what Embry had said. He was right. Paul hadn't cared about me yesterday. He hadn't cared that my feet were bloodied and I'd had to walk home barefoot through the forest by myself, traumatized and heartbroken.

"_Aw, fuck, baby! Goddamnit, I'm sorry, okay? You're absolutely right to be pissed, and I'm so, __**so**__ sorry! I feel so fucking terrible about all that but I was just so angry, I can't… I can't even explain the shit that was in my head then."_

My own thoughts flew back in response before I could control them_. "You didn't have to be so nasty… so hurtful. I said I was sorry!" _Darnit, that came out sounding whinier than I'd ever wanted. I **did** feel really guilty about what had happened with Jared. Not only because of Paul but also because of Maggie now. But it hadn't really been something within my control to stop in that moment of peak lust yesterday morning.

"_I know, okay? But I'm not perfect. And you were all over Jared! I saw in his head how you were kissing him and grinding yourself against him for fuck's sake! How do you expect me to react? That fuck-face knew exactly what he was doing too. And you just kept defending him like somehow __**he**__ was the wronged party!"_

_Oh, shit, he was still really angry after all! _I started to run faster.

"_I am __**not**__ angry," _he insisted, angrily_. "I'm just trying to explain where I was coming from. Will you just stop running away already? Christ almighty, woman! I can't talk to you like this."_

"_You called me a bitch!" _I threw out_. "And you're a hypocrite," _I accused, feeling suddenly emboldened._ "You slept with all those other girls! You said you liked me for all of those years and yet you were fucking every female in sight. How does that work, Paul? You only decided it was time to fuck me once Jared finally noticed me?" _I was starting to sound hysterical now.I _was_ hysterical now.

"_Baby, I can explain all that. Just… __**please? Please**__ fucking stop running so we can talk about all this?"_

"_No!" _I grumble-thought back with as much fierceness as I could manage. Internally I was definitely crumbling though. I didn't think I could hold my own against Paul without the other Kimmie. _Where the fuck was she?_

"_Please don't fight me, sweetheart. Please, let's just work this out. Let me make things up to you?"_ he cooed._ "I promise I'll behave. I'll be the perfect boyfriend from now on I swear it. God, all I want is to take care of you now honey and see that you're okay. My wolf and I can barely process how close you were to that vampire without wanting to tear every tree in this damn forest down. Can't you just stop and let me be reassured that you're really okay, please?" _

"_Ugh, I am okay!"_ I snarled back to him. Had he not just seen through the mind link how I'd torn that vampire apart all by myself?

I heard his unmistakable chuckle in my head. _"Baby girl, I definitely saw it! And you are one sexy she-wolf when you're fired up." _

_Argh! He was belittling me still! _Even after I'd slain a vampire all by my fucking self. As if my wolf form was some cute novelty act to him, like I was an adorable joke of a shape-shifter in his mind…ultimately still a helpless cub that needed his protection.

"_Oh, come on, now, baby…don't be like that," _he pouted_. "I'm just trying to lighten things up. And I'm sorry but it does scare the piss out of me that you could've been hurt."_

"_But I wasn't!" _

"_But you could've been! Fuck, let's not even go there. Honey, I swear I'll do whatever it takes to make this up to you if you'll only let me. Just tell me what I need to do."_

_Christ! _What do I say to that?

"_I'm just… so excited…so fucking happy…to know you're really mine forever now."_

I could practically hear the dimpled smile in his deep, soothing voice. And fuck me if he didn't sound so damn sexy in my head that I was throbbing violently between my hindquarters again. _Even when I hated him!_ Oh, why couldn't there be a voice distorter feature to the mind meld that would allow me to make Paul's sexy baritone sound high-pitched like Theodore's from _The Chipmunks_? Or maybe a monotone, asexual, drone like Ted Koppel's?

"_Koppel, eh?" _he sounded amused_. "Oh, now that's kinky, baby. How 'bout Bob Barker? What would his voice do for you?" _

I groaned in exasperation inside my head. I really needed to learn how to shield my thoughts._ Asshole was impossible! _I decided to focus on the long list of reasons why I hated him now before he could worm his way into my good graces again with his irritatingly sexy humor and charm…_and smell_.

"_Baby, you can't possibly hate me…I'm your imprint, sweetheart," _he informed me complacently. _ "C'mon, just stop running away and let me take care of that throbbing between your legs. You know I know how."_

_Shit!_ Just the thought made my knees weak and I started to slow down_. And damnit, if possible it sounded like he was making his voice sound even sexier now on purpose!_

"_Mm…I just want to scent and lick your wolf all over, honey. Then I'll show you how to phase back to human form with me. And then I'll scent and lick you in human form all over again." _

I stumbled over the raised root of a larger tree and nearly fell flat on my snout. I was wearing down, losing my focus. _Fuck, where was that wrong Kimmie?_

"_I'll be so good to you, baby," _he purred inside my head_. "I'll take great care of that heat cycle ache." _

I was getting lightheaded, feeling dizzy now. And then he started flashing me vivid images from his mind of all the many ways and various positions he was going to _take care of_ me in. _Oh, bloody hell!_

"_Over…and over…and over again…" _he crooned as images of us together assaulted my mind, getting more and more racy, erotic and eventually hardcore pornographic as they went on_. _

I was breathing too hard and I slowed down even more as I panted for air.

"_As much as you need…until that ache is all better, angel," _he promised_. _

_Fuck, all my willpower was deserting me. _The images just kept coming. I was panting like crazy as my heart raced. My knees wobbled, causing my hind legs to finally buckle, and I collapsed to the ground.

"_Mm…that's it, sweetheart. Just rest now," _he instructed gently_. "Stay right there and relax."_

More than physically, I was emotionally exhausted. So I succumbed to temptation and curled myself into a ball on the cool forest floor and waited for Paul. As confused and as resentful as I still felt, I was tired of fighting my feelings for him. It was even harder now with this new imprint connection I felt. It seemed to prompt an almost irrational compulsion to want to see him happy and to please him, which was a bit scary, considering how strongly I'd felt compelled to seek his approval prior to imprinting. I honestly did want to see him and be close to him. I wanted things to be okay between us just like they were before. But then… I also didn't. Because I noticed another thing that had happened with the imprinting, it made me want **more**… _a lot more_ from Paul than just what we'd had before. _I wanted everything_.

And it was breaking my heart that in all his cajoling he still hadn't said he loved me. He was still making it all about sex…which, admittedly, I was more than desperate for at the moment. But I was also still mad. I knew I was…I just wasn't quite feeling it right now. _Where was angry Kimmie? _

Fuck, I didn't know if I liked this imprint thing. It was making me feel all… sappy… needy… _weak_. I didn't want to feel those things.

"_Kim?" _I heard another deep male voice ask inside my head, interrupting my thoughts_. "Is…is that you?" _the voice asked, sounding shocked_. _

_What the…? _The voice was oddly familiar, and yet I couldn't quite place it.

"_Kim Kong? It's me, Bennett," _the voice supplied.

_Oh, my god! _Cousin Bennett?_ "Bennett! Oh, my god!"_

"_Awe, Kong," _he sighed wistfully. There was such sadness in his tone as he asked _"You're a wolf too then, huh?"_

_Bennett was a wolf? He'd somehow phased too? All the way in California?_

"_Yeah…god, Kim, I'm so sorry. This shit blows, I know. It…it gets better though. I think…" _he mumbled under his breath_. "Fuck, I'm so sorry this happened to you too…but I gotta admit for selfish reasons I'm so fucking happy to hear you in my head right now, you have no idea. I need help, Kong... bad. I…I'm so fucking tired. I haven't slept in forever… and Alison… I'm so scared for her… and there's no sign whatsoever of her phasing. Not sure how long I can keep going like this and be in any shape to protect her. Fucking leeches… they never fucking sleep."_

"_Bennett? What on earth are you talking about?" _I jumped up onto my four legs, all of my canine senses springing to attention_. Alison's in danger?" _

"_How much do you know about the Quileute legends, Kim?"_

"_More than I ever cared to, trust me. Just…go on and tell me what's going on with Alison!"_

"_There's a leech stalking her. Obsessed with her. It's what caused me to phase…it's what's prompted your phasing. After it happened to me and we figured out what was going on, dad and I were worried your wolf gene might've been triggered as well since you seemed to… change over the summer… you know… uh… fill out… and stuff."_

_I groaned through the mind meld. "Yes, yes… I got boobs… everyone and their mother has commented on them. Please continue!" _

"_So…dad called and talked to that guy down there… uh… the really ancient one… named after a pen?"_

"_Quil?"_

"_Yeah…that's the guy!"_

"_Omigod… my uncle Todd talked to Really Old Quil? About me?"_

"_Yeah. He asked him to watch out for any changes in you… any signs you might be on the verge of phasing."_

I practically screamed in irritation through the mind connection._ Fucking phony soothsayer! Spirit comrades my ass. Uncle Todd had totally tipped that loony toon off to me phasing._

"_What's that, Kong?"_

"_Nothing!"_

"_So, it's just me and this other kid who have phased. Guess there aren't too many Quileutes in LA County. Anyway, this vamp is super determined. And he never sleeps! And Alison… she doesn't have a clue what's going on. And mom and dad are trying to keep tabs on her but… it's Alison we're talking about. She was sneaking out of the house when she was 11. I dunno... I think sometimes maybe we should tell her… but then… she's really not as tough as she seems on the surface, you know? She can't really handle much."_

"_Alison?"_

"_Yeah, you know, she's not like my mom. Alison only pretends to be tough. But she's such a little kid inside."_

_Huh?_ Well…_okay_. That didn't really sound like the Alison I knew, but who was I to argue with her own brother? Then something else occurred to me. _Where had Paul gone?_ I knew he was good at sneaking up on me but it seemed as if any small sense of his mostly shielded presence I'd had suddenly vanished as Bennett's voice had popped into my head.

"_Who's Paul?"_ Bennett asked.

"_Um…well…"_ Oh, geez, how to explain my train-wreck love life to my ultra cool cousin? What would he think of me? Bennett was older, wiser, and I'd always pretty well idolized him even though I'd been closer to Alison, not having spent as much time hanging out with Bennett. _"Well, he's my imprint… I guess._ _He __**was**__ my boyfriend… until yesterday. And, I think…I think he's about to become my Alpha. He's sort of… uh… on his way now to… um… claim me… as part of his pack… err something?" _Should I mention to Bennett the fact I was also in heat or would that just be too awkward? Like whenever I'd had to tell my dad I was on my period and in need of cash to buy tampons.

Bennett cleared his throat in my head. _"Well, I don't know that this is the same thing, Kong. Buying tampons I actually have experience with. I do have a sister and I've had my share of menstruating girlfriends, you know,"_ he stated matter-of-factly. _"I even know about those panty liners with wings. But this heat business… I don't think the Old Pen mentioned anything about that to my dad."_

I started giggling nervously inside my head… it was a combination of my patterned stress response and the image of big, hunky Bennett perusing the feminine hygiene aisle with a discerning eye, understanding what descriptions like "dry weave" meant in a pad.

"_What I do know, is that your emotions feel pretty fucking confused and conflicted right now. If you were to ask me for my advice, I'd say you probably shouldn't make any decisions about this guy until you sort things out in your own head. And as far as him being your Alpha… you know, it's never the best idea to be sleeping with your boss for starters. But besides that, what makes you sure he's meant to be your Alpha? You can hear me, can't you? I've never heard any of the other wolves' thoughts in the La Push pack before. Old Pen asked my dad that specifically. Right now I'm the Alpha of my little pack of two," _he chortled ruefully_. "What if I'm your Alpha? Or what if you're my Alpha? We're family, Kim. We're automatically a pack. And I think you trust me. Right? I mean I certainly hope you know you can. But it doesn't feel to me like you trust this Paul right now. I dunno… personally, I wouldn't feel very good about following someone I didn't completely trust."_

_Geez Bennett was like some kind of 'Dear Abby'!_ How the hell did he just break it all down like that after being in my head for all of three whole minutes?

He laughed. _"Listen, Kong, only you can decide what's right for you. I'd seriously love your help down here protecting Alison, but you should consider there might be complications to being away from your imprint. So, just think about it. You could head a bit east and pick up the Pacific Crest Trail, run it all the way South. It wouldn't take you more than two to three days at our wolf speed even if you stopped for breaks and sleeping. It goes right through the Sierra Madres and I can meet up with you there. Or… if you want, I can send my pack bro Sensai to meet you halfway or something."_

"_Sensai? Is that like an inside joke?"_

He sighed wearily. _"Nah, that's his real name. Actor. Don't get me started."_

"_For real? He's a Native American and he goes by Sensai?"_

"_Seriously, Kong, you don't even want to know the nonsense I have to listen to inside this kid's head. So, you should probably factor that into your decision as well… whether you want to listen to some wannabe actor rehearse lines and keep tally of the carbs he's eaten in a day. I'm actually starting to worry he's manorexic. It's really freaking him out how much his appetite has increased as a wolf and it doesn't matter how many times I assure him he's burning the extra carbs off and then some."_

_Oh, dear! _I'd heard the term manorexic and also tanorexic more than a few times from Alison over the summer but somehow it still sounded so funny to my ears it made me want to snicker. Alison told me she'd unknowingly dated a guy who was manorexic in high school. Their brief relationship ended when he'd fainted on their first date from low blood sugar and she'd tried to revive him by shoving _Ho Ho's_ and _Ding Dong's_ down his throat. He hadn't appreciated her efforts, accusing her of trying to make him "fat".

Bennett chuckled heartily. _"Ah, that shit's grade A; one of my favorite of Alison's failed relationship stories. What a douche!"_

"_Kim?" _Paul cut in frantically. His emotions felt desperate. _"Fuck, honey, where were you? What happened? Did you phase human for a few minutes? I lost all connection with you."_

"_Um… no… still here… in wolf form…"_

"_So, is that the boyfriend who would be Alpha?"_ Bennett inquired. _"Hyper much?"_

"_You can hear Paul?"_

"_Nah, I can't hear him directly but I can hear him through your processing of his thoughts to you. Trippy shit, right?"_

"_Who the fuck is that?" _Paul demanded_. "Kim, who are you talking to?"_

Oh, my god, this was all so ridiculous. I had enough bickering going on in the back of my mind all by myself._ "It's Bennett, Paul. He's a wolf too."_

"_Obviously! But why can't I hear him directly if you can? Is he there with you? Who the fuck is he? Bennett __**who**__?" _

Bennett cackled in amusement_. "Possessive much?"_

"_Bennett __**Young**__… as in my cousin Bennett from California!"_

"_Second cousin?" _Paul checked_._

"_No! First cousin! My mom's brother's son, okay?" _I responded in exasperation_._

"_Wow. I've just gotta know… would he have actually felt threatened by a second cousin, then? Pretty messed up."_

"_What the fuck did he just say about me?"_ Paul insisted aggressively, causing Bennett to crack up even louder inside my head.

"_Ugh… Bennett, just hang on a sec while I explain to him what's going on with Alison okay? It's too distracting trying to respond to both of you at the same time."_

I somehow managed to tune Bennett out, despite his periodic snorts and quiet snarky thoughts, as I relayed to Paul what was going on with Alison and the vampire in California and that Bennett needed help. I explained how my proximity to the vampire stalking Alison in California over the summer was most likely the reason my wolf gene had been activated. And I could virtually feel his hackles rising in alarm and protest over where he quite accurately assessed this was all going.

"_No._" He ground out simply and with a deathly finality before I'd even said I was considering leaving to help protect Alison.

"_Paul, she's my cousin and she's in danger!" _

"_What the fuck would a vampire even be doing in sunny LA?" _Paul grumbled_. "He can't possibly stalk her during the day, walking around sparkling like diamonds and shit for everyone to see!"_

"_Wait, what shit's he talking now?" _Bennett inquired casually_._

"_He's questioning how there could be a vampire in Los Angeles because it's so sunny there, given how their skin sparkles like diamonds in the sunlight so much they'd stick out and draw attention to themselves."_

Bennett snorted. _"Well, obviously he's never spent any time in LA. Other week I was driving down Santa Monica Blvd and a guy was literally dressed in white robes with a long beard, wandering down the sidewalk carrying stone tablets like he was Moses come down from the mountaintop. Two blocks later there was a dude jay walking, dressed in a black thong, heels and fishnets with a lacy black push up bra, holding up traffic while he shook his tits and ass at the cars. That's just normal activity on a Monday morning driving to work. Trust me, no one here would look twice at some pale dude walkin' 'round looking like he got a little overly zealous with a 'Bedazzler' on himself."_

"_You're not going!" _Paul thundered emphatically_. "No fucking way."_

"_This one's charming, Kong," _Bennett mocked_. "Hey, what happened to that Jeremy kid you've loved your whole life?"_

I groaned and Paul growled as he registered Bennett's question through my mind. Oh, holy hell this was irritating. I couldn't hear myself think anymore.

"_Alright, I'm sorry,"_ Bennett laughingly apologized. _"I'll stop. You're doing awesome for a new wolf, Kong. Why don't I phase and call my folks? Give you two lovebirds a chance to talk while I fill them in on what's happened?"_

"_Yeah, that'd be good. Thanks, Bennett!" _

"_Sure. So… when I phase back I guess I'll either still hear you or I won't, right?"_

"_Um… yeah… guess so." _The thought of not hearing Bennett in my mind anymore made me sad, causing my anxiety to spike over the prospect of having to choose between Alpha's.

"_Don't worry, Kong. I'm always here for you. Just make the decision that's best for you. I'll understand either way, and I'll take good care of Alison, I promise. You don't have to worry. Love you, Kim."_

"_Thanks. Love you, Bennett." _I felt myself getting choked up again as I lost all sense of Bennett's presence. My confidence was buoyed though by the fact Bennett trusted me to handle Paul on my own and to make my own decisions. He didn't try to sway or influence me. He even believed I could traverse the Pacific Crest Trail in my new wolf form all by myself.

"_Yeah, not exactly strong 'Protector' instincts if you ask me," _Paul mused irritably_. "And what kind of a nickname is Kong? I don't like it." _

"_He believes in me, Paul! He doesn't think I'm weak." _Damnit, he was pissing me off.

"_I never said you were weak!"_

"_No? What was that you said to Jake about picking all of my ten pounds of self up and moving me out of the way?"_

He didn't answer. But his emotions of frustration and determination were fairly palpable now. I felt a strong vibration shake the ground beneath my four paws just as my most favorite scent in the whole world wafted over me.

_Oh, fuck me! Here we go. _

Just as I was getting my fight back, _of course_ he shows up to smell the whole forest up with his panty drenching musk. I felt his aroma envelope me, intoxicating me. I heard a rustle of leaves and looked up to find his beautiful grey wolf loping towards me. He was not more than 30 yards away and the knowledge he would be upon me in seconds made me panic.

"_I have to leave!"_ I blurt thought. _"You can't stop me!"_

It might've come across more convincingly if I hadn't whimpered and wagged my tail as his powerful body came to a graceful halt ten feet in front of me. _I could really eat that smell. _I had to keep my wits about me.

"_Kimmie, baby, please try and be reasonable? You can't leave. It's not even an option, honey. We're imprinted! You'll only cause yourself more stress and pain if we're apart." _His wolf eyes raked over me hungrily. My tongue lolled out in spite of myself_. Shit._

"_But you left on your vampire hunt up north when you thought I was your imprint! Sam left Leah and she's his imprint."_

"_Damnit, Kim, I'm serious!" _he advised me sternly_. "You __**can't**__ leave. You belong with __**me**__, in __**my**__ pack. Leaving is not an option. I won't let you."_

"_You told me there's always a choice," _I bleated_. _

"_What?"_

"_You sat in my kitchen eating that shit casserole from Sandra and you said, that I always have a choice!" _

He paused and I could almost feel him cringing internally at his own words that I'd thrown back at him. _Ha!_

"_Honey, that was different circumstances."_

I mustered up all my resolve._ "I choose to leave." _I felt my inner she-wolf rear her head in revolt at those words_. Paul's wolf was ours. We were bound to him_. _It would hurt us to leave him_.

"_Baby, please… please listen, you don't want to do that. I can feel your wolf doesn't even want to do that."_

While to my ongoing vexation the wrong Kimmie chose to remain in the background, she did prove useful as I could sense her efforts in reigning in our she-wolf. Placating her with understanding that she agreed Paul was ours, but we weren't ready to claim him… yet.

"_Wait? What was that? Is that what this is about?"_

_Shit. Had he heard that?_

"_You were thinking something about claiming me and my wolf. Is that what you want, baby?" _he sounded so hopeful as he cautiously ambled closer_. _I backed up_. _He stopped his advance_. _

Damnit, he smelled too good. I was beyond desperate to nuzzle him. But instead, I declared, _"I choose to help protect Alison." _I felt little Kimmie shriek in dejection and fear at that decision, squealing she didn't want to be a wolf, that she was scared of vampires. _Shitfire she was annoying! _I felt wrong Kimmie in the background swiftly reign her in as well, telling her she didn't warrant a vote or a choice in the matter. _But why the hell wouldn't wrong Kimmie just come to the foreground already and rescue me from Paul?_

"_What?" _Paul's wolf cocked his head at me curiously_. "What. Was. That?"_

_Fuck. _This was all the more reason I couldn't afford to have Paul in my head.

The grey wolf stealthily approached_. "__**Who**__ was that? Kim honey, are you okay?" _His manner was effusive of genuine concern. I could feel it. Somehow the sincerity of it set me off even more.

_No, I wasn't okay! _I'd just turned into a dog and torn apart a tacky, _Bedazzled_ vampire this afternoon. Now I'd learned that my cousin Alison's life was in danger from the same twisted sort of demon spawn. I didn't need him asking these stupid questions.

"_There was… a little girl… or… something… just now inside your thoughts?" _I could practically hear the wheels turning in his brain as he rolled each thought out. _"And someone else… someone you want to protect you… from __**me**__?"_ I felt his confusion, his utter devastation that I really felt I needed protection from him. And it hurt me to know I was causing him pain. But at the same time I also felt his _intrusion_, felt him searching and prodding as he probed the depths of my psyche_. It made me want to hurt him. _

I didn't want him sneaking up on me in my head all the time. It was none of his fucking business! It was _my_ head… they were _my_ thoughts. Why was I being punished by having to suddenly share them with a pack of teenage boys? Not least of which was the big arrogant He-Man who'd stomped on my heart yesterday. I felt myself growing increasingly hysterical. _None of this was fair! He shouldn't get to hear my thoughts, get to know my innermost feelings right now. _

"_Shh… s'okay, honey," _he soothed, edging his enormous, graceful body closer_. "I don't want to upset you. I'm just… concerned."_

He was choosing his words carefully now. _Great, he thought I was bat shit crazy!_

"_No. No, I don't think that, angel," _he hastily assured me_. "You had a lot happen today. Please, let's just get you home," _he entreated_. "Make you something to eat? You're hungry, aren't you?" _

I _was_ probably hungry, but I couldn't really tell right now as presently his smell and proximity were making my stomach feel like it was turning to warm gelatinous goo. _Fuck, I wanted him. _

He moved closer. _"Just tell me what you need."_

My hind leg stepped back and I felt the hair on my tail graze against the rough bark of a tree. _Great supernatural survival instincts! _I'd backed myself into a damn tree.

"_You want to mark me, baby?"_ It sounded like he was offering more than asking.

The grey wolf was so huge, so much bigger than I remembered… so _virile_. Shouldn't he look smaller than I remembered now that I was in wolf form? Was it possible to feel the heat radiating off of him from several feet away? He steadily drew nearer. His scent was so heavy in the air it was making me dizzy. _I seriously wanted to lick him. _

"_You can lick me as much as you want, sweetheart," _he purred_._

_Gah! _Were none of my private thoughts sacred?

He chuckled and I felt excessively warm all over. _"You can mark me too,"_ he tempted. _"Bite me anywhere you want."_ I shrunk back a little reflexively as he took the final few steps that brought him towering over me, his majestic muzzle breathing warmth down onto me. My heart sped up as his wet snout lowered to kiss mine. He brushed it tentatively back and forth. My tongue lolled out like a desperate bitch. He rubbed his muzzle soothingly atop my own. Then he lowered his furry jawline to graze alongside mine. I started emitting all manner of ridiculous happy puppy noises. His big, warm tongue licked across my face. I yipped with nervous excitement. I tried so hard to play it cool but I was pretty sure my tail was wagging like no tomorrow. He moved on to lick and nibble his way up around my ears. _Ooh, that felt nice_. Then he laid his muzzle over the top of my head and began gently rubbing it back and forth. _"You can have anything you want from me, Kim. Anything... everything… Just tell me what you want." _

My head slowly lowered under his gentle pressure as he continued to rub and lick over and down the back of my neck. _"God you're so beautiful, honey."_

Taha Aki there was an inferno of need brewing amid my hindquarters now. My snout was pressed up into the side of his furry chest. Between his potent smell and his tongue's ministrations along my spine my fore and hind legs were quivering awkwardly, my forelegs giving in first and caving to the ground.

"_That's it," _he enticed_, "just relax. Let me look after you now." _ My hind legs were trembling violently holding the rear of my body up. "_Mm… let your legs go, sweetheart. I got you. You're okay." _I felt him unmistakably increase the pressure on my spine as he laid his muzzle atop my back.

I knew what he was after. He wanted me pressed all the way to the ground beneath him. His wolf wanted to dominate me. He was gently but slowly getting my she-wolf to submit. _And I was just letting him_.

Because he smelled too good to resist. Because I wanted to make him happy. Because there was a place inside me that was desperate for him to take care of me right now. And because the wrong Kimmie wasn't jumping forward to stop him. She had deserted me. I could scarcely hear her now. And I felt weak… like a failure without her. My hind legs wobbled and barely held.

Paul's wolf whined sadly above me. He lifted the weight of his muzzle from me. _"It's not like that, Kim," _he thought somberly_. "I swear_. _I'm not… I don't want it to be like that. Fuck, I'm just trying to protect you, honey. Can't you understand? Don't you know how I feel about you?" _

I was hurting him_. And it hurt me. _

"_I feel that too, Kim. I never want to hurt you. I just want to be with you. You don't have to get on the ground. I won't force it. Just… please accept me as your Alpha? Don't leave my pack? I just want to take care of you. Please? It would make me so happy, baby. Just let me?"_

It was a tempting offer. One which might've insinuated itself into my life path as the missing Grail I'd always longed for a week ago. On the one hand I was sick to death of everyone thinking I was weak and needing protection. But conversely, I'd never had anyone take care of me who'd actually _wanted_ the job. My mother had grudgingly done her duty to take care of me, resenting me for it the whole time and making sure I knew father had mostly avoided the task and gotten off with the most minimal parenting effort possible_. _And here was Paul, telling me he only wanted to look after me… because it would make him happy. _Why was that wrong? _

_Because I wasn't a child anymore. _I'd grown beyond being parented. It was too late. There were things time took away that could never be recaptured. Voids within me it would never be anyone else's role to fill.

_Neither was I Paul's mother._ He couldn't hold onto me by making me dependent. And encouraging him to foster controlling, smothering tactics with me would hardly atone for her disappointing failures as a mother. It was an unfair expectation.

The grey wolf whined and snuffled, lowering his snout to nuzzle mine. _"Fuck, it's not like that. I only want to love you and take care of you, baby." _

And there it was, the coveted Disney moment I'd always longed for… though it was shaping up to be a lot more like _Lady and the Tramp_ or _The Jungle Book_ than _Snow White. _Regardless, he'd said he loved me… _err_, that he _wanted to love me_, rather._ But it was the same thing, right?_

"_Of course I love you, Kim!" _he nearly exploded in exasperation_. _His wolf huffed as he sprang up and began pacing in front of me anxiously._ "Jesus Christ, what the fuck do you think I'm doing out here making a complete pansy ass of myself over you for?"_

My wolf started wheezing as patterned stress response giggles overtook me. Paul ceased his pacing to playfully knock and rub heads with me. _"Why you gotta always be so mean to me, woman?" _He licked my face_._

"_Don't call me woman!"_ I laughingly protested in mock indignation.

"_Fine then… __**bitch**__!" _he conceded, angling over to my side and easing his big furry body down next to mine.

"_I do love you, Kim. I'm sorry I choked and didn't say it before." _He nuzzled me and licked all over my face.

_Fuck, it felt good_. I felt my body melt into the cool ground. I was panting and yipping up a delighted frenzy as he nudged me slowly onto my back. He crouched over me and proceeded to lick and rub his snout along my underbelly as he scented me. I was thankful Seth wasn't in my head to witness my wolf porn thoughts now.

_Did this mean I'd submitted?_ It sure seemed as if that was the case given I was now sprawled out on my back beneath him. Was he officially my Alpha now?

"_No,"_ came his soft answer as he licked and sniffed up my chest to my shoulder. _"I want you to pick me, baby. I won't take away your choice." _

He was licking over my muzzle and I was licking back. _So he was just going to lick me until I agreed he was my Alpha?_ I think we both knew what the outcome of this "giving me a choice" strategy would be.

He chuckled. _"I'm trying to be as fair as I can about this sweetheart. Fuck, you're the one flashing those dirty wolf porn thoughts in your head."_

We were both eagerly nuzzling and licking each other's muzzles when I heard incredibly rapid footfall headed swiftly in our direction through the forest. Paul's wolf heard it too as we both jerked our heads up in the direction of the sound. We didn't have to wonder for long what on earth could be moving so quickly on two legs as Embry's form emerged on the horizon. _He was running!_

And he looked fairly ridiculous as he approached, clad in only a pair of shorts, running barefoot faster than any Olympian runner had ever dreamed, waving his arms wildly in the air at me.

"Kimbo!" he called out. "Kimbo, it's a trick! Don't let him pin you to the ground, dude! He's trying to dominate your wolf! Don't submit! Be strong!"

"_You've gotta be fucking kidding me?"_ Paul groused.

I couldn't help but giggle hysterically until my wolf was wheezing again. _Embry had run all this way just to check on me! _ After Paul had ordered him to phase he'd obviously kept running in human form in a sweet brotherly gesture to look out for me.

"_Your sweet brother's an idiot,"_ Paul muttered, clearly grumpy the mood had been shattered by Embry's intrusion.

Embry remained oblivious to the fact Paul actually wasn't really coercing me into anything at the moment, _for a change_, as he sprinted closer, still shouting out warnings to me to get up and away from Paul before he could pin me. And then he surprised us both as he literally tackled Paul's unsuspecting wolf and rolled with him on the ground away from me.

"Run!" Embry shouted at me as he struggled to maintain his hold on Paul's wolf. "_NOW_, Kim! It's your chance!" The situation really couldn't have been more absurd.

Paul threw him easily but not hard enough to hurt him. Then Paul phased human. "What the fuck, Embry?" He exploded as he proceeded to pull the shorts on that had been tied around his leg. But not before I'd gotten a nice eyeful of his fine ass and impressive package in broad daylight. _Did I really have to leave?_

"Paul, just give her some damn space, alright?" Embry blustered, getting up off the ground. "She's confused and upset. Why can't you keep your wolf mojo to yourself for five minutes while she gets her head together?"

Paul groaned. "Just shut the fuck up and let me explain to you what's going on, okay?"

By the time Paul finished explaining about Bennett and Alison and how I wanted to leave for California to join Bennett's pack, Embry was kneeling next to my wolf, pleading with me to listen to Paul and stay in La Push. Soon they were both kneeling beside me, presenting all manner of logical arguments as to why I shouldn't go.

_But I had to join Bennett. I had to help my cousins._

"It's not safe,"Embry reasoned. "You don't even know how to phase back."

Bennett would teach me, I reassured myself as Paul's long fingers stroked and scratched through my thick coat. _Oh, god, that felt good_. My eyes drifted shut as he scratched under my chin.

"You shredded your clothes back there, baby. You don't have a stitch on you, not to mention a phone, or a lighter, or money… none of the things you might need," Paul argued gently. "Just give it till tomorrow," he pleaded. "Sleep on it."

"Listen to him, Kim," Embry urged. "You know normally I wouldn't say that but seriously, you've never hunted before. What are you going to eat?"

Damnit, these were all relevant points they were making. I could figure out how to hunt, right? Animal instincts would kick in and all that? The Spirit Warriors had deemed me a "Protector". I'd defeated a vampire and still somehow I was in doubt of my ability to fend for myself for a few days?

I realized trusting in weakness came markedly easier than believing in power. Owning your own power was a terrifying tightrope, both exhilarating and devastating. If you never uncover your own strength, never acknowledge its existence, it's vastly easier to eschew the responsibility that accompanies it. But once you know, once you've embraced it for even a moment, there's no denying or going back. You can never again make believe you're inherently weak. I would figure it out.

"I don't think you're weak, honey," Paul told me solemnly, lifting my muzzle up to meet his gaze. _What? Could he hear my thoughts in human form now as well?_ "You don't have to prove anything."

_Fuck, there was that growing throb amid my hindquarters again just looking at his handsome face. _

"I know you love Alison and Bennett and they're your family, but Embry's your family, too," Paul pointed out. "I'm your family," he pouted softly as his fingers proceeded to work their magic, stroking the fur of my neck and then my back.

_Damn him for being so fucking sexy. _I whimpered and licked his face. It wasn't like I was never coming back.

"O-kay, so, I'm getting a little uncomfortable now," Embry admitted. "Could you cut that out please before I get sick?"

Paul glared at him and kept stroking my fur. I laid my muzzle over his shoulder, allowing him to better embrace me_. I did love him._ But leaving was the right thing to do. I knew there were parts of me that were still angry and upset with him, no matter how charming he was being in the moment, no matter how well he smelled or how fantastic his fingers felt scratching down my spine… _FUCK!_ _I had to leave before he had me on my back again. _

So I accepted Bennett as my Alpha.

* * *

><p>As I stood next to Paul watching Kim's black and white wolf trot determinedly into the forest until her form was barely visible, I didn't have to share a mind link to understand how completely destroyed my pack brother was feeling. I turned and smacked a supportive palm against the back of his solid shoulder. "<em>Sooo<em>… you're gonna follow her, right? 'Cause… if you're not, I am… I just have to call Bella fir…"

He'd dropped his drawers and fursploded before I'd even finished the sentence. There'd been no doubt in my mind he'd been planning to follow her. Badass she-wolf or not, no way would either Paul or I ever let Kimbo venture off on her own, and especially not as a new wolf.

"Good luck!" I called after his rapidly diminishing grey wolf. "Try not to be a complete dick!" I added once he was too far gone to turn back and kick my ass.

**A/N – So who thought they were really gonna go at it as wolves? **_**C'mon**_**, you can say?**

**You know, this chapter wasn't exactly outlined to go this way originally, but goddamnit if Paul's groveling didn't get to me a little bit too, that smooth-talking sonofabitch! **

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! Have a wonderful weekend.**

**Next up: Embry gets kinky with his imprint, Alison comes into the picture and Quil makes an ass of himself in Chapter 25, **_**Singer**_**. **


	25. Chapter 25  Singer

**Chapter 25 – Singer**

**A/N – Okay, so turns out my vacation expectations were a tad unrealistic and it was super difficult to get any fanfiction writing or reading done while visiting with family members and in particular, my adorable baby nephews. So, this is a slightly shorter update I'm posting today, folks. **

****For those of you who missed my Bella/Embry smutty outtake, the first part of this chapter might be confusing. So basically, in the outtake we learn Bella suffers from a real medical condition known as PSAS (Permanent Sexual Arousal Syndrome) or PGAD (Permanent Genital Arousal Disorder), she accidentally broke her hymen in Home Ec class back in AZ, and she's a bit of a closet freak who enjoys some good 'ole fashioned bondage activity and dominant/submissive role-play. Naturally, Embry is on board since he wants to please his imprint but also for the safety factor since he feels she's less likely to accidentally injure herself during their sexual activities if tied up. **

**I want to give thanks and credit to **_**Raven Potter Weasley**_** for my Bella/Embry pairing this fic as well as certain events of this chapter, both of which were inspired by what I found to be her fairly hilarious suggestion in her review of Chapter 5 of WW. And if you're a Harry Potter fan, Raven recently began posting the first chapters her own Harry Potter fanfic, which has been extremely well reviewed already. I actually know nothing of the HP series whatsoever but I fully intend to check Raven's story out as I suspect it's full of fun non-canon pairings, her offbeat humor and refreshingly frank and original point of view.**

With her legs spread wide open for me on all fours, her hands bound to the wooden slats of the headboard with her red cape, a homemade yellow '_Have a Nice Day_' rubber ball gag in her mouth and my dick disappearing inside her snug, wet hole, I was certain my imprint had never looked quite so breathtaking before. She did her trademark porn star moan over the gag ball and pushed her sweet heart-shaped hiney back against my shaft, trying to take in more of me. I smacked her right ass cheek, causing her to squeak. _Oh, no, had I hurt her? Crap!_ I'd only meant to give her a playful tap. This Dom-Sub role-playing business didn't always come totally naturally to me.

And yet, I knew she was okay. Because the gag ball wasn't actually secured tightly, she was mostly just holding it in her mouth, allowing her the freedom to easily spit it out if she needed to use her safety word, "David Hasselhoff"…chosen mainly for its ability to instantly conjure up an image most likely to immediately make my dick soft in an emergency situation. Still, I breathed a sigh of relief as the smell of her arousal thickened in the air and I could feel her increased wetness around my cock. _Hello, baby! _Not for the first time and likely not the last I thanked my lucky nuts for imprinting on Bella. She was seriously fucking perfect and though I hated to think it for fear of jinxing myself, it almost seemed as if no matter what I did I couldn't get it wrong with her as long as I stuck to my instincts with regard to the connection I felt.

Nothing made me happier than making my Bella happy and she appeared shockingly easy to keep happy thus far. I didn't get why guys seemed to think women were impossible to please. Seemed straight forward enough to me. You get a sense of what she wants, you confirm it, then you do it. If you have no sense at all, you just ask. What was hard about that?

Personally, I'd never envisioned myself as the sexually dominant type. And none of my spank bank material over the years ever ventured into even mild bondage territory. I guess I wasn't that imaginative and had mostly stuck to the basics…classic meat and potatoes bedroom appetite. I mean I could come all over myself just looking at Bella's perky little tits in a wet tee shirt. _Probably wouldn't even need to be wet._ Hell… Bella could wear a plaid flannel shirt and I'd shoot my load simply looking at her. So this whole new world of gag balls and spankings had me feeling like _I _was the one with PGAD.

The evening following the recent incident with the creepy vamp in the woods, I'd come clean to Bella about being a shape-shifter and also about imprinting on her. She'd taken the news of both shockingly well. And as my imprinting luck would have it, turned out Bella had always been secretly turned on by the _Little Red Riding Hood_ fable and was eager to role-play that I was the Big Bad Wolf accosting her at her granny's, tying her up, gagging her and having my big, bad wolfy way with her. So I was currently under strict instructions to spank her and call her "bad Little Red" and "slutty Riding Hood" every time she got too impatient or came without permission, which was of course quite often given her PGAD condition... and the fact that it was hard enough just remembering my own name most of the time when my dick was buried inside Bella, forget about remembering I was supposed to be playing the Big Bad Wolf and telling her when she could come or not. But hey, I was more than willing to role-play every day of the week until I got it right if that's what my sweet little imprint wanted.

And in Kimbo's absence I'd decided Casa Callaway was the best location to serve as "Granny's house." In the first place Bella was safest on the reservation where the pack and I could best look after her, particularly now that we knew the redheaded bloodsucker, who Bella informed us was named Victoria, had actually been hunting Bella all this time, in connection with some twisted mate for mate revenge scheme. So I employed any excuse I could think of to keep Bella on the reservation as much as possible.

Kimbo's house was also the best location for role-play since my mom was home way too often, not to mention Bella's dad was a fucking cop. But truthfully, aside from all of that, I'd decided I had a score to settle with my biological father who'd never acknowledged me and had steadfastly avoided me thus far even after knowing Aunt Susie had spilled the beans to Kim as well as to me via my crazy mom. Hell, the man hadn't been home in the last two days to even notice his "acknowledged" child Kim was missing. Well, I'd decided after I got done talking to him…perhaps phasing in front of him…he was going to fucking acknowledge both Kim and me going forward. He couldn't avoid me forever. And in the meantime, I was going to enjoy camping out at his house, having sex with my imprint in his bed, and purposely drizzling my jizz all over his sheets Kimbo had kept clean for him like she was his fucking housekeeper rather than his daughter. _He wasn't the only one who could carelessly shoot his semen around and ignore responsibility for the sticky mess that was left behind. _

Oh, Lord fucking help me, Bella was coming again for the fourth time already, her tight twat squeezing my dick like a damn fist. Curse my tight balls this was a crazy good one she was having too. I was pretty sure the whole reservation had probably heard her squealing and porn star moaning by now. I almost lost it and shot my shit, but then I remembered I was supposed to be talking smack like she'd told me she wanted me to. _Fuck, what was I supposed to be saying again?_ It was so hard to think when all of my blood was concentrated in my penis. _Oh, yeah, right…_

"Bad Little Red," I scolded her, smacking her perfect ass. She moaned louder and I felt her vaginal muscles fluttering and gripping me anew. Oh, shit! A double orgasm? Fuck me, I wasn't going to last long now. I dragged out and rammed hard back into her, causing her to grunt and scream over the gag ball through one of those blessedly beautiful, continuous orgasms she tended to experience. I slapped her other ass cheek. "You're such a bad little fucking Red, coming before I said you could," I chastised. "Now you're gonna have to take all of my Big Bad Wolf cock like a good slutty Riding Hood."_ Oh, goddamnit, who knew nursery fables were so fucking dirty?_ I started giving it to her good and fast as my balls constricted almost painfully.

But then Bella threw me a wicked curve, spitting the gag ball out and wailing, "Ooh _FUUCK!_ It's too much… I can't take any more of your big bad wolf cock! It's too big! It's too bad! Oh, fuuck!"

I stalled for a split second. _Holy crap, was she serious? _Was my big cock too much? But wait…she hadn't said David Hasselhoff? _Crap… fuck… crap crap!_ What if she'd just forgotten the safe word?

"Emmmbry!" she screamed. "Don't…don't fucking stop!"

_Aw, hell this was confusing!_ I instantly went back to work ramming my dick into her at lightning speed and telling her what a bad Little Red Riding Hood she was. Gosh, I was so lousy at staying in character. Bella was such a sweetheart for overlooking my poor acting ability and going back to screaming her head off in orgasm about how she couldn't take anymore of my Big Bad Wolf cock as I pounded into her without pause.

I really felt like such a terrible imprinter sometimes. I seriously didn't deserve Bella. And it was my preoccupation with these self-deprecating thoughts as I was caught up in our moment of orgasm, gripping Bella by the hips and shouting obscenities nonsensically as I unloaded myself into her that resulted in me failing her yet again by neglecting to hear the unfamiliar fast-paced heartbeat that had entered the house and the bedroom before it was too late.

I whipped my head around just in time to see a slender, attractive brunette wielding what appeared to be a gun, pointing straight at us in her quivering grasp. I withdrew myself from Bella, instantly shifting into position to lunge at the girl when she started screaming like a maniac and the weapon fired, shooting two dart-like probes that were attached to thin wires connected to the gun straight into Bella's left ass cheek. As the crazy intruder continued to shriek like a banshee, jumping up and down in place, 50,000 volts of electricity jolted through my precious imprint, causing her to twitch and convulse like some back-alley crack addict just as she was reaching her porn star wailing moment of orgasmic completion.

My heart was gripped by such an unparalleled fear and panic for my Bella that I hadn't known in two whole days as she sank boneless to the mattress before my hapless eyes. I tore her free of her red cape bindings, swiftly turning her over to check her pulse as I prepared to administer CPR. _She was breathing!_ Thank fucking Taha Aki! Her pulse was steady. She'd simply been rendered unconscious. _She was going to be okay!_

As soon as I was assured of Bella's well being, my fearful emotions were replaced with ones of such intense, murderous rage, I was quite certain there was about to be nothing but a big blood stain on the bedroom wall behind where that brunette intruder with a death wish had been standing.

"**WHAT THE FUCK?**" I roared at her in anger.

The petite brunette shrank back through the doorway, her eyes wide with terror as my body trembled with fury. I was pretty sure my eyes had at least partially shifted. She dropped the taser gun to the floor. "Oops… My bad! I was aiming for you," she confessed anxiously, as if that somehow sufficed as an excuse.

Aiming for me? _Like that was fucking better?_ Who the fuck breaks into a home and just starts tasering innocent couples having sex? Clearly she was a psychopath and a danger to society, I rationalized. I saw red as I stared through her, fighting the overwhelming urge to phase and murder her for harming my imprint.

"She…uh…she should be fine in like twenty minutes…I _think_…" She had the gall to shakily smile at me reassuringly. "I… I'll just go now… um… must have the wrong house…" she trailed off as she pivoted on her heel and dashed down the hallway.

_Oh, no she fucking didn't! _I managed to wrap a sheet around my waist before racing after her, catching her by the shoulders before she'd made it halfway down the hall, lifting her up easily and slamming her back against the wall to face me.

She winced and then dared to actually glare at me, yelling, "Ouch, motherfucker!" Then she had the nerve to grumble an irritated, "I said I was sorry!"

_Really?_ I must've missed her version of sorry. _I should really just kill her_, I mused. She was a human and I was a supernatural _Protector_ sworn to defend humans from vampires. But I'd been on edge the last two days since Bella's near attack by Rasta vamp and I wasn't willing to take any chances. Not even with this pipsqueak.

"I should fucking kill you," I growled aloud down at her in a low, gravelly voice that didn't sound anything like mine.

"Embry?" Quil called out anxiously as I caught the sound of the front door swinging open and slamming shut. "Dude, is everything okay? I was in my bedroom with Stacy when I just had the weirdest feeling like my heart was about to explode and then I felt possessed by some queer compulsion to come straight… over… _here_…" I swiveled my head to look at him as he entered the hallway, his voice trailing off when he caught sight of me shaking, my fingers firmly gripping the cheeky brunette by the shoulders.

"Oh my fucking God," he whispered, his eyes transfixed on the brunette cowering against the wall in front of me. He looked like he was going to be sick. Glancing quickly back and forth between Quil and the girl I noted she'd turned her head and was looking straight back at him, her brows knitting together in a disturbed manner.

_Of all the lousy luck!_ The obnoxious little housebreaker was Quil's imprint. I definitely wouldn't be able to kill her.

Normally I wasn't so astute-Lord knows it had taken me far longer than it probably should have to figure out about my own imprinting-but I quickly recognized the telltale look of sheer idiocy on Quil's face now only all too well, having witnessed Jared make that same expression just two days earlier upon locking eyes with Maggie.

Quil seemed to forget he wasn't supposed to reveal himself as more than human as he sprung into reaction, moving with supernatural speed and agility to knock me off and away from his imprint, sending me flying to the other end of the hallway where I crashed straight through the drywall. He then swept her off her feet bridal style and whisked her clear across the living room in some absurd, overly dramatic attempt to safely relocate her farther beyond my reach than was remotely necessary. _Imbecile!_

It seemed he'd also forgotten to get dressed before he left his house as he was wearing only his boxers and sporting a stiffy no less as his imprint shrieked at him to put her down, kicking and flailing her arms. I seriously hoped the Tribal Council would privilege me with personally transcribing this tale of Quil Ateara V meeting his imprint for historical recordation in some official book of our tribal legends I assumed we kept somewhere. Because it was shaping up to be one that was sure to live on in infamy among future generations of shape-shifters.

Quil reluctantly honored his imprint's wishes and carefully set her down. She smoothed her shirt that had ridden up and brushed her disheveled, dark hair away from her face. I was busy dusting drywall off of my mostly naked person as well as I cautiously approached the pack's newest imprinting disaster in the living room. Quil was staring at her like she was everything he'd always wanted and never believed existed in the world. She was staring back at him as if she was terrified he was going to try to chop her into tiny pieces and store her in Zip-lock freezer bags.

She swallowed nervously and spoke a little shakily, "Okay, so…_clearly _I have the wrong house and you guys are busy filming some kind of… independent… _arthouse_ film… so, I'll just be on my way and let you get back to that."

She made a move for the door but Quil put himself squarely in her path, then proceeded to back her up until he had her boxed in, his hands braced against the wall on either side of her head. I could hear her heart racing out of control.

No doubt Quil heard it too as he cooed, "Oh, don't be scared, beautiful. I'd never let anyone hurt you, least of all that ape over there," he jerked his head in my direction. She looked even more terrified. Clearly he didn't get that he was the ape presently scaring the crap out of her.

I rushed over to his side and Quil managed to drag his eyes away from his precious imprint long enough to glare and growl lowly in his chest at me. I tried to give him a meaningful look that said '_back your shit up, man, you're freaking her out_', but apparently it wasn't meaningful enough because he did the opposite, leaning in and crowding her even more with his hulking frame, seemingly in some misguided, protective gesture. I raised my hands in a sign of surrender and backed away until Quil ceased growling and turned his attention back to his new purpose for living.

And then the nuttiest thing of all happened. Quil slid his right hand from the wall and placed his palm gently over his frightened imprint's rapidly beating heart. Now, if anything should've freaked the girl into cardiac arrest, I would have thought surely the big half naked stranger leering at her and tenting his boxers putting his big hand on her left boob would've done it. But by some strange mythical imprinting hocus pocus she instead seemed to calm instantly, her heart rate actually slowing and evening out to normal.

_What the fuck was that shit all about?_ And how in the hell did Quil just know to do that? She still looked apprehensive and definitely weirded out by him, but also a bit dazed, and there was no mistaking the physical signs of her change in demeanor. Even her breathing was steadier now. Seriously, what the hell kind of voodoo was that he'd just employed?

Quil smiled stupidly at her like a total pansy, looking inordinately pleased with himself as he withdrew his hand from her chest and placed it casually back against the wall. "What's your name, beautiful?" he drawled in a husky voice I'd never in my life heard him use before.

She closed her eyes then, letting her head fall back against the wall behind her and mumbling, "Seriously? This is really happening?"

"My name's Quil," he persisted with oblivion.

She peeked one eye open at him and scrunched her nose up in confusion. "Like a pen?"

He laughed uproariously, dropping one hand from the wall to hold against his belly, as if she'd just delivered the joke of the century.

"No…no no no…it's Quil with _one_ 'L'," he explained excitedly. "See? So I'm not a pen."

Man, this was a fantastic imprinting train wreck in the works I was witnessing.

She narrowed her eyes at him, looking him over as if still trying to determine whether he was harmless crazy or dangerous crazy.

He just cheesed back at her. "Quil _Ateara_," he emphasized his last name as if it held some special importance.

She looked as if it was taking all of her self-restraint not to roll her eyes. "I'm Kim's cousin Alison," she finally revealed. "Alison Claire _Young,_" she emphasized the last name in a mocking tone that was unfortunately lost on him. "Alison's spelled with one 'L', see? I'm not a pen either."

He laughed like a maniac again.

"Wait! You're Alison?" I blurted, rushing closer. "Kim's cousin Alison?"

She shrugged, raising one brow and mumbling, "I only fucking just said that." Clearly she was still miffed at me for wanting to kill her earlier.

"I'm Embry!" I shoved Quil out of the way and ignoring his territorial growls, extended my right hand in greeting. "I'm Kim's half brother."

She recoiled in horror, squeezing herself into the wall as her eyes darted back and forth from my hand to my face in disgust. "Ewe! Are you crazy? I'm not shaking that hand you just had buried in some skank's twat!"

_Whoa! _ "Whoa! Her name is Bella and she is NOT a skank!" I reproached, shaking a warning forefinger in her face, causing her to shudder and squeak in protest.

Quil shoved me away from her so hard I stumble stepped halfway across the room. "Dude! Get your dirty twat finger out of my imprint's face," he admonished. "And go put some fucking clothes on. Can't you see you're freaking her out?"

Oh, _I _was the one freaking her out?

Alison gave me a pleading look, affirming that I was in fact the lesser of the freaks in her estimation. "_You're_ Embry?" she queried, looking a little disappointed and disgusted when I nodded in confirmation. "O-kay… um…well, listen…" she seemed to pull it together for appearance sake, drawing on some deeply-ingrained sense of manners. "I'm super excited to meet you, Embry," her smile was strained, "I'm so psyched to have such a cool new cousin." She cleared her throat. "But I'm having a bit of a germaphobic reaction right now and I've already had to shower more than my fair share today so… do you mind if I don't touch you or shake your hand until tomorrow? Or next week maybe? Preferably after I've witnessed you washing and sanitizing your hands a few times first?" she mumble finished under her breath.

"My hands are clean," Quil offered up eagerly before I'd had a chance to respond. "See, I even clean under the nails?" He held his big mitts up to her face, turning them over for her inspection.

Alison rolled her eyes and shook her head slowly. I was tempted to remind the room of the fact he'd just run over from his bedroom activities with Stacy, but decided not to go the total asshole route, despite my increasingly bad mood.

"You can shake _my_ clean hand if you want?" Quil continued. "I'm a really good friend of Kim's. She's like a sister to me. Like a _full_-sister…way more than just…a half." He jerked his head in my direction and pulled a face, as if to indicate my _half_ sibling status clearly marginalized me as a person of importance in Kim's life.

I smacked my palm against my forehead and whispered too fast and too low for Alison to hear, "Shut the fuck up! You're completely blowing it!"

He whipped his head in my direction and replied back at supernatural speed. "Em, man, she's impossibly perfect… she's the cutest, smartest, most amazing, gorgeous, fuck hot imprint on the planet. I feel like asking her to marry me right this second."

"Fabulous… that makes us _full_ first cousins then," Alison remarked sarcastically in response to his sister comment. "And what the fuck is an imprint?" She looked suspicious. "Is that like another term for fluffer?"

"Fluffer?" Quil questioned with rapt interest, much as he did anything that fell from her pouty lips. "Is that another feather pen joke?"

Alison frowned a moment, then looked to me and asked, "Is he special?"

I nodded. "He is now."

She sighed. "Listen, can you just tell me where Kim is, please? She was supposed to arrive in Los Angeles yesterday but she never made her flight and I haven't been able to reach her."

"Oh, my god!" Quil exclaimed suddenly, his copper complexion turning as close as it could ever come to ashen. "Fuck my life, _this_ is ALISON? KIM'S COUSIN ALISON?" he bellowed in incredulous horror. Apparently he was connecting the dots five minutes after the initial introduction and realizing his imprint was the self same cousin Alison whose life we understood to be presently in danger from another one of those hopelessly romantic bloodsuckers.

Alison's eyes darted back and forth between Quil and me. "Is this an inbreeding thing?" Naturally she was curious why she had to introduce herself as Kim's cousin Alison three times before the half-naked apes got it. "Can someone please just tell me where Kim lives?"

"She lives here," I answered, growing impatient to return to the bedroom to check on my Bella.

"For real?" she squawked. "All this time my parents told me my uncle was a mechanic and he's really a porno producer?"

"No way!" Quil piped up, looking to me for confirmation. "Your biological father shoots porn for a living?"

I reached over and whacked Quil hard on the back of his head as my final vestiges of patience snapped. "No, idiot! Alison walked in on Bella and me role-playing Little Red Riding Hood. She accidentally tasered Bella in the ass in her attempt to zap me after somehow jumping to the crazy conclusion Bella was an unwilling participant who required rescuing just because Bella was tied up and screaming she couldn't take anymore of my big bad wolf cock. But she never said David Hasselhoff, okay! SHE NEVER FUCKING SAID HASSELHOFF!" I roared.

Alison actually leaned in closer to Quil, clutching his forearm as they both regarded me like I was the one who was insane.

"And then you showed up in your underwear with a hard-on, jackass!" I continued to rant, "Announcing you'd just been in your bedroom with Stacy." There, I'd taken the total asshole route. "Obviously she thinks we're shooting some wacky porno and that imprint means fluffer. Don't ask me to explain why her brain works that way because I'm not actually blood related, so I have no idea what kind of twisted mind one would need to possess in order to break into someone's home and taser an innocent girl having a fantastic orgasm in the ass!"

Alison bit her lip, staring at me with a fascinated, horrified expression on her face before questioning aloud, "Are those some kind of new mood changing colored contacts you're wearing? Your eyes keep turning back and forth from brown to pale blue."

Quil drew Alison further into him until she was pressed right up against his chest. For whatever reason the fact my germaphobic new cousin seemed to be okay with pressing herself up against a my half-naked childhood friend Quil, who was presently shooting daggers at me like I was his mortal enemy, when she wouldn't even shake my damn hand after tasering my imprint into unconsciousness, was the last straw for me as I groaned in defeat. I certainly didn't have the energy to explain my eyes shifting.

"Fuck it," I announced, raking a hand through my short hair. "Let's just go in the backyard and get this shit over with?"

They both looked perplexed. "Quil, we might as well tell her now rather than later," I reasoned. "Let's just go in the backyard and I'll phase in front of her. She's vampire bait and she's related to three shape-shifters in addition to being your imprint. The sooner she knows the easier it'll be to protect her. 'Sides, we need to get in touch with Paul so he can let Kim and Bennett know we've got Alison here."

Quil's eyes widened in protest at first, but then he seemed to process the merit of cluing her in. It would certainly make it easier to protect her and keep her close to him. "Maybe I should call my grandpa and ROQ," he suggested tentatively with a heavy sigh, "get them over here to explain things."

"Nah, fuck, let's just give her the Cliff's Notes version," I insisted. Was he crazy? How many IQ points had he lost in the ten minutes since imprinting on Alison that he thought introducing the girl to his scary weird family would help this situation?

* * *

><p>Alison took the news of our ability to shape-shift into giant wolves remarkably well, all things considered. I guess her dad had shared enough of the Quileute legends with her and Bennett over the years for it to be adequately shocking to discover they were actually real, however not utterly mind blowing. Quil embraced her from behind and did that queer bit again where he put his hand over her heart after her heartbeat spiked dramatically at my initial phasing. I seriously needed to ask him what that was all about.<p>

We went back inside the house where Alison sat fairly motionless next to Quil on the living room couch as we revealed our purpose as supernatural wolves. The vampire pill was a bit harder for her to swallow, particularly when we told her she had a vampire stalking her. I explained what I'd learned from Bella about how some humans' blood "sang" to certain vampires in specific, causing them to lust after that human with such a twisted passion it lead them to believe they were soul mates, the human destined to either be dinner or an undead vampire mate for eternity…depending on how well the vamp could control his appetite.

She turned sickeningly pale after we described what vampires looked like and asked if one of us could please bring her overnight bag in from her rental car. Quil jumped to attention, returning from her car with two oversized suitcases and three slightly smaller pieces of luggage, apologetically indicating he hadn't known which of the five constituted her "overnight bag". _How could he?_

I noticed Alison's hands were shaking as she opened one of the medium-sized bags and pulled out a smaller piece of luggage, and then an even smaller bag from inside of that one. Just as I was wondering how many and how small the Russian dolls were going to ultimately be, she pulled out a pink "Hello Kitty" plastic container, retrieved a joint and lighter, and proceeded to get stoned.

Around her fifth puff her hands had stopped shaking and she appeared calmer as she confessed she suspected she knew who the vampire stalker was; said she'd just seen him at the airport before picking up her rental car and driving to La Push. She told us he'd been casually approaching her for several months in random places, attempting to engage her in conversation and just recently saying bizarre things about her being a world class singer. She giggled as she relayed how she'd simply mistaken him for some B-rate talent scout and told him to fuck off, letting him know she couldn't carry a tune in a Hermes bag and if she could, her grandma knew Quincy Jones so she didn't need to deal with fucking amateurs.

Quil did his best to comfort and reassure her the vampire would never get that close to her ever again. She nervously laughed it off, saying this was nothing new, that she'd consistently attracted weirdos and stalkers most of her life.

The imprinting concept seemed a lot tougher for Alison to grasp. We explained that Quil was her soul mate and that he would be whatever she wanted or needed him to be to her from now on. At first she appeared thrilled with the idea, and I could see Quil turning internal cartwheels as he grinned from ear to ear at her. But then she asked if he would be her new Chiropractor because hers had recently relocated to San Francisco, and we realized she wasn't quite getting it.

I calmly explained to her Quil couldn't just instantly be something for her that he didn't already possess the knowledge, skill and ability to be…like a flippin' Chiropractor! To which she wrinkled her nose up and flat out concluded that was lame, arguing Quil hadn't had any supernatural wolf skills prior to phasing for the first time either and that if he could turn into a giant vampire slaughtering wolf, turning into a Chiropractor seemed like a markedly easier feat for him to accomplish on her behalf. Quil finally acceded that he _could_ go to school to study Chiropractic medicine if that's what Alison really wanted. But by that time she'd moved on to assessing his current skillset, concluding perhaps he might make a halfway decent personal assistant to her in the interim.

I clenched my fists and did my best to reign in my annoyance as I was forced to acknowledge perhaps calling ROQ over wasn't the worst idea ever as maybe it would actually make more sense to her if she heard it explained by someone just as dotty as she seemed to be. Fortunately, Sam and Jared showed up just as Quil and I finished trying to explain it to her for the fourth time, adding their two cents to our stoner imprinting conversation.

Sam gave her the classic, tired schpeal about how Quil could be a brother, friend, protector, or a lover to her, whatever was required by her as the imprintee. Then Jared stuck his foot in it, rolling his eyes and contending it was always best to just be frank with someone who was stoned. So he revealed that even though we always told imprints we'd be anything they wanted us to be, it was basically lip service to make them feel like they still had options since it was a known fact imprinting always ultimately resulted in a sexual relationship.

Quil cringed and Sam smacked Jared upside the head, while I groaned and buried my face in my hands in defeat. Alison simply started giggling uncontrollably then in that goofy, ridiculous manner a person could only get away with when they were stoned. Pretty soon she was rolling on the floor making noises like a hyena. I really couldn't figure out what Kimbo saw in her cousin that she idolized her so much.

Sam threw his hands up and went searching the kitchen for food. Eventually Alison's laughter died down and she let us in on the joke as she broke the news to Quil in no uncertain terms that she would never in this lifetime be having sex with him. And not because she didn't think he was a "cool pen" or because he didn't show much promise as a Chiropractor, but because she was a lesbian and simply "had no use for his penis".

I didn't stick around long enough to discern Quil's reaction to that imprinting bombshell because my own reason for existence was finally stirring awake in the back bedroom. I raced down the hallway at the sound of her patterned breathing changing and the sheets rustling. I found her picking up the discarded taser gun from the floor, her smooth alabaster brow slightly marred with confusion as she turned it over in her hands.

"Baby, I'm so _SO_ sorry!" I apologized anxiously, picking her up and depositing her on the edge of the bed before proceeding to check over every inch of her gorgeous naked body to ensure she was okay. "Are you alright?" I knelt in front of her, taking the offensive weapon from her grasp and setting it aside before caressing her hands in mine and kissing her palms repeatedly. "Can you ever forgive me, angel?"

I looked up to find her huge brown eyes filling slowly with tears and I could've sworn I heard my own heart breaking. _I was the worst protector ever_. I wouldn't blame her if she never forgave me for this.

She placed her cool hand against my cheek and smiled timidly as she whispered a tearful, "Oh, Embry, that was… so…_magical_. Even better than I'd always fantasized. How did you know I'd always wanted to experience a tasergasm?"

I swallowed hard and forced myself to maintain a lovingly neutral expression on my face as I simply nodded. _There were no words_. How much luckier could one imprinted, shape-shifting, bastard Indian boy possibly get in life?

"How do you _always_ know exactly what I need?" she sniffled, caressing my cheek as she gazed at me with some sort of magical look of wonderment that I wanted to capture and commit to memory for all eternity.

I enjoyed the moment, knowing I would have to deliver the disappointing news to her later that I was never going to give her another tasergasm for as long as I lived. I shrugged, placed my hand atop hers against my cheek and murmured in my deepest voice, "It's just the magic of imprinting baby."

**A/N – Thanks for reading and reviewing! And please, no one try tasergasming at home**!


	26. Chapter 26  Blood and Boundaries

_**A/N – Thank you for your patience! I realize this was the longest length of time I've ever gone between updates and I truly appreciate all of my sweet, supportive readers who checked in to make sure I was still alive and kicking. I've unfortunately just had very little time for anything outside of work recently with all of the miserable litigations I've been assigned to manage coming to a head at once, requiring some absurdly long hours at the office. Blech!**_

_**And I'm not gonna lie, this chapter also turned out to be a real challenging motherfucker to write, totally screwing with my perspective and depressing the heck out of me at times. I will likely NEVER again attempt to write a story where my characters are afflicted with such complicated psychoses! **_

_**Clearly I prefer to write the silly goofball stuff and the porn that pisses off church ladies, but we all know Kim's not nuts for nothing…so I had to go into some darker territory eventually for the sake of the storyline. Cursed evil plot bunnies! **_

_**MA reminder – this chapter includes discussion of depression and suicide (not to worry, it's past tense stuff, no one funny or sexy who we actually like will off themselves this fanfic) and some Kim & Paul LEMON in the woods. **_

_**(So if you can stomach the first 12 pages of pure angst served with a side of melodrama, the last 12 are fluffy cuteness and smut.) **_

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><p><em>They were arguing about blood<em>. Or lack thereof, rather. _What in the world?_ I awoke to find myself running in wolf form still, headed south at breakneck supernatural speed on the Pacific Crest Trail. It was the strangest experience to wake up and to know I'd been running in my sleep…or more accurately, that wrong Kimmie had been running during my slumber. _I was most definitely not in the driver's seat_.

"_Stop fucking calling me that! My name is Kimberly," _she thought back at me in vexation.

I was momentarily at a loss for words, virtually at a loss for thought. I'd just been corrected by my 'angry' self, who'd been running and thinking on my behalf, while I'd been unconscious for I didn't even know how long. Judging from the fading sunlight through the shade of trees, it appeared to be dusk.

"_There's more to my feelings than just anger. Interesting it's the emotion you prefer to recognize. Be useful and ask your baby self_ _why I never saw any blood,"_ she grumbled.

_What the deuce she was talking about?_ In my sleepy haze my first speculation was she was referring to the purple-suited vampire, questioning why there hadn't been blood when he was torn apart. I'd thought it strange myself. But why did she think little Kimmie would know the answer? _I _certainly didn't know. Didn't recall Embry covering that with me when he'd described them as being like the Terminator T-1000 model.

In any case, it felt good to have wrong Kimmie in control again. I wasn't sure when that shift had transpired exactly, but I relished the return of her overriding self-assuredness, her complete lack of hesitation and fear as she propelled us forward on our mission. I didn't even know where we were on the trail, but I couldn't find a place within me to be too concerned about it as long as the wrong Kimmie was in charge.

As for little Kimmie, I could barely hear her from where she hid in the remote recess of my mind, but when I listened very closely, I discovered she was nervously repeating the same thing over and over again, in response I assumed, to wrong Kimmie's previous inquiry, quietly insisting, _"there was no blood…there was no note..." _

As usual, I found even her slight presence irritating. _Who'd even asked anything about a note?_ Was there nothing that wasn't annoying to me about her? I was attempting to ignore her completely when I noticed every so often her thoughts would drift to Paul's grey wolf. It seemed she was nervous Paul was following us and she kept wishing it were Jared tailing us instead.

Thinking about Paul I realized an unusual ache in my gut. _I missed him already_. I wondered whether he was upset with me for leaving. Though I'd felt such confidence and clarity only a few hours ago as to my decision to join Bennett's pack, I couldn't help but feel a little regretful and concerned now over whether I'd caused Paul to feel abandoned.

Wrong Kimmie snorted in amusement, and disappointment it seemed, as I felt her internal eye roll. _"Jesus, what fucking ninnies you both are,"_ she clucked. _"You think everyone else wallows in guilt anytime they make a choice that doesn't put other people's desires before their own?" _

She pressed our powerful limbs faster as she vented,_ "I've had to listen to little princess worry herself sick over my callous treatment of Jared's fragile emotions all afternoon. It doesn't even matter how many times I remind her that he just imprinted on Maggie! She's still distraught we might have hurt his poor feelings. After all, he spent a whole week falling in love with us after ignoring us for an entire lifetime," _she spat bitterly_. "And now I'm expected to humor your self-flagellation over Paul's delicate ego? Are we supposed to factor Paul's mommy issues into every decision we make from now on too?" _

We were traveling so fast I could scarcely see the trees whizzing by us from my smaller perspective as she demanded,_ "What about __**our**__ fucking mommy issues?" _ I felt her annoyance spike substantially right before we hip-checked a smaller, yet nevertheless substantially sized tree, causing it to splinter and crash to the ground.

_And she wondered why I only recognized her as angry?_ Strangely, I felt the force of our impact with the tree but nothing more, which surprised me somewhat. It occurred to me despite our supernatural healing abilities, shouldn't it have at least stung a bit?

"_When will __**I**__ get some fucking pity for the fact you two seem hell bent on engaging exclusively in manipulative relationships where we're bound to wind up playing doormat?" _she growled_. "Didn't we get enough of that 'love' already for one lifetime?" _

I was genuinely confused. I knew from her thoughts wrong Kimmie wanted Paul too. She'd assured our wolf he was ours and that we would claim him. _And he was our imprint!_ Even if we hadn't already chosen him willingly, wouldn't we still be tied to him by a pull that ultimately we might not be able to refuse?

"_That's not the fucking point!" _she complained_. "What the hell does it have to do with anything that Paul is our imprint? I don't give a rat's ass if we love him or even if he's the last man on earth with a functioning penis, that doesn't mean we should just accept whatever bullshit he tries to pull!" _

Another tree met its splintered end as it connected with our shoulder. Once again, I felt the pressure from the impact against our shoulder, but nothing more. _No pain_.

Little Kimmie began whining softly then about how unfairly we'd treated Jared, maintaining he was the good guy as various images flashed through her thoughts of him, every single one displaying him gifting us with that toothy, megawatt smile of his.

Wrong Kimmie groaned in disgust and countered with images of him breaking our bathroom door down, of him losing his shit in our kitchen right before he'd phased in anger, and of him coercing us to confess who'd bruised our wrists.

"_He was being protective!"_ little Kimmie bleated out defensively, adding, _"Paul's the mean one! He scares me!"_ She flashed memories of Paul's wolf lunging towards us in anger in the woods when we were shielding Jared's wounded wolf, of Paul yelling at us to get the fuck off Jared, of him scowling at us in the school hallway that first day back from summer break, and of his wolf injuring Sam's in order to get to us.

"_His feelings were hurt!" _I championed in irritation_. "We betrayed his trust and triggered his most sensitive abandonment issues. You can't fault him for having hurt feelings!" Jesus, little Kimmie was incapable of understanding anything. Why did I even bother arguing with her? She was so damn irritating! _

"_Both of you are ridiculous,"_ wrong Kimmie snorted. _"Paul and Jared are equally capable of being manipulative and scary. And it's not about which of them has better reasons for acting the way he does when you can't even blame either of them for their behavior towards us!"_

_Say what? What the flipping fuck was she saying?_ Wasn't she the one who was so angry with them for their manipulative behavior in the first place?

"_I'm not angry with __**them**__!"_ she growled as she took out another tree. _"Irritated, yes," _she conceded_, "but I'm fucking furious with __**you two**__!"_

I sensed little Kimmie's confusion joining my own_. _

"_It's always __**our job**__ to teach people how we expect to be treated," _wrong Kimmie continued_, "in every relationship…with every fucking person we interact with on a daily basis. Why would it be Paul or Jared's fault for treating us the way we've indicated we're most comfortable?"_

_Huh? _She was literally shouting inside my head now. And she might just as well have been shouting at me in German, or some other foreign language I'd never studied, because I was completely lost.

"_Because you don't fucking listen to me!" _she accused_. "It's __**always**__ been this way with you two misguided martyrs! And still you refuse to see the truth that's right in front of you. It's like you walk around inviting people to abuse you. I don't know why we don't just get 'victim' tattooed across our forehead and be done with it." _Two more trees were swiftly demolished_._

_Christ, what on earth was she fucking talking about?_ What did she mean we had to teach people how to treat us? That sounded a little weird, not to mention awkward and unrealistic. _People were who they were- we couldn't change that_. Did she mean like that saying, _treat others how you would have them treat you?_ We already did that. It's not like we went about being nasty or manipulative to people. How was this _our_ fault if Paul or Jared had sometimes been manipulative with us?

I felt wrong Kimmie release an exaggerated groan of frustration. _"That cheesy saying relates to basic manners, you tool. It's for morons who don't understand common etiquette like 'please' and 'thank you' and that you shouldn't punch strangers in the face unless you're prepared to get socked back."_

She felled yet another innocent tree before continuing her tirade, this time by head-butting it. _Still no pain_.

"_In the world outside of fairy tales, most people will treat you how you treat yourself. They'll see you how you see yourself," _she advised in that audacious, know-it-all tone of hers that for some reason was really beginning to chafe my nerves a bit now._ "If you walk around putting everyone else's needs and opinions before your own, don't be surprised when they put what you want as their last priority too. After all, it's what you've asked them to do," _she emphasized_. "It's what you've demonstrated you're most comfortable accepting." _

_Sheesh, where was a damn soapbox in the woods when you needed one?_ Just when had she contrived this psychobabble nonsense? How did she think she knew all of this shit anyway? _And _s_he was completely exaggerating the severity of the situation, drawing loosely conceived parallels_.

"_Oh, take some fucking responsibility for chrissakes," _she admonished_. "__**We're the fucking common denominator in all of our relationships!**__" _

I felt like I'd been slapped_. Just what was this bitch trying to say? _

"_You think it's just bad luck we keep winding up in the same position of feeling powerless? Of the other party in every relationship having the control over us? Nobody else can give you your own power, jackass… you have to take it!"_

"_But Paul loves us," _I shot back nervously for no reason whatsoever_. "And he's our imprint!" _I contended inanely, wondering what the hell that had to do with anything she'd just said even as I'd thought it.

"_So fucking what?" _she scoffed_. "Falling in love, imprinting, marking… whatever… it doesn't turn a mate into a motherfucking mind reader, you know?" _she argued in exasperation_. "And even if it did it wouldn't matter, because neither does it make a person a goddamn saint!" _

I was beginning to feel nauseous. I was sure we were running too fast now. I felt dizzy from the scenery speeding past.

"_Why can't you just accept the fact that each person is responsible for setting his own individual boundaries? And if you can't define and defend where your boundaries are, how can you blame other people when they cross them? How are they supposed to magically know where __**your**__ motherfucking lines are?"_

I didn't like what she was saying. Despite how often I'd always been prone to readily accept blame for everything and anything, for some reason I didn't want to accept this one_. I didn't want to fathom that it might be me…that it could actually be my behavior that was the root cause of how others were towards me. _No, I refused to believe that my responses, my reactions and non-reactions were the greatest determining factors of how others behaved in relationship with me.

"_Fucking Christ, I said responsibility, why do you have to make it about blame?" _wrong Kimmie beseeched dejectedly. I felt our pace slow_. _Her next thoughts to me felt more resentful and hurt than they did angry. _ "All I ever tried to do was get you to defend our boundaries. And you made me wrong for it. This is your creation. **You did this**. You took sides with __**her**__ against me," _she scorned_. "When I was the one who was right all along." _

Wrong Kimmie fell into silence then as her thoughts sharply shifted focus back to our current mission of getting to Bennett in order to protect Alison.

I suddenly felt horribly depressed.

_Why had wrong Kimmie's words made me feel so hopelessly guilty? Why did that last part about taking sides against her ring so true? Had I really done that? _

"_Jared's not manipulative!" _Little Kimmie bleated out of nowhere_. "Paul's the mean one!" _

It was small consolation little Kimmie might be even slower mentally than I was for still being stuck on that old argument. On the one hand it was insanely bizarre to be having these three-way arguments with my other selves, and yet there was an uncanny familiarity to it as it dawned on me this wasn't the first time the three of us had argued in this manner.

The interesting thing about remembering significant events you never knew you'd even forgotten is how non-dramatic an experience the recall process can actually be. I didn't switch into some form of tunnel vision mode and the forest didn't commence spinning all around me like it might've been depicted in a movie. I simply remembered. It was as if the memory of my other selves had always been available to me within the realm of my subconscious all this time, and I had merely chosen on some level to ignore its presence until now.

I'd always had a hazy recollection of my childhood habit of splitting off, of physically separating from myself, as I'd done again most recently in Sue Clearwater's kitchen days earlier, even though I'd tried to convince myself over the years that I'd only imagined being able to accomplish such a stunt as a child.

So as wrong Kimmie sprinted onward at the forefront of our being, I hid within the shadows of my larger self, observing and drawing on the thoughts of my two others; and in the process unintentionally managing to educe a partial memory from the long forgotten catacombs where I'd logged so many an unpleasant episode with my late mother.

I remembered being in my bedroom in the middle of the night with my mother, forced to endure yet another one of her ongoing mother-daughter rituals I'd come to despise. I was in fourth grade. I recalled the sensation of feeling physically ill as I sat next to her, painfully tired but trying to listen to whatever she was saying, nonetheless, knowing I had to, yet wanting to block her words out at the same time. I recollected fighting an irrational desire burgeoning within to simply run into my bedroom closet and hide away from her while at the same time battling another distinctly foolish internal drive to swear and yell at her, to say all of the things I'd been thinking for so long but had never allowed myself to express. And these two opposing forces pulled against the dominant, core motivating influence within me to maintain peace with my mother at any cost, to do whatever was required to avoid unnecessary conflict that would only lead to more punishment for me.

While the specifics remained hazy, I distinctly recalled that at some point during that particular night, as it had come to be on many others, it wasn't me battling internal drives anymore… they'd become external. I remembered now actually seeing my other Kim's in the room with me, each taking our respective positions, metaphorically as well as quite literally, it appeared, in defense of our cause. _We were divided_… scattered in three different places at once around the room. I remembered looking back and forth between my other two selves and realizing they were still me. And I felt the loss as well as the relief of having them finally separated, because I could no longer hear their thoughts or feel their overwhelming emotions that were constantly in opposition.

But while I clearly now held this vision of the three of us in my room with my mother, I knew in my gut that before we were three, _we had at first been two…_

The recurring routine around which this new memory surfaced, I'd certainly never suppressed. It was one that had been forever indelibly etched in my psyche. Much like the constant insults, the cans of tomato sauce, the breaking of dishes and her rageful tirades when I'd accidentally awaken her during the night by using the bathroom, I couldn't recall the first time this tradition had begun. In memory it simply seemed as though it'd been going on forever. When I was very little this practice of hers had devastated and disturbed me, but it had also made me feel special that my mom was coming to me for comfort, that she was choosing to share her thoughts and feelings with me. It made me feel important and needed…at least initially.

On a regular basis my mother had at some point gotten into the habit of awakening me during the night with her uncontrolled bawling, and would soon thereafter crawl into bed with me, seeking solace. I used to hug her and say whatever I could think of to try and comfort her, asking her what was wrong. At first I had always cried along with her, terribly upset at seeing my own mother so hopelessly inconsolable, while she would sob hysterically, relaying her relationship struggles with my dad. She'd share her long list of perceived failures in life, lamenting the death of all her hopes and dreams, imparting her bitterness over her swiftly fading youth and beauty. She'd bemoan what a total disappointment her life had turned out to be and what a struggle it was for her to endure the torturous monotony of constantly living with the pain of regret day in and day out.

For years she'd regularly threatened she was planning to leave my dad and me during such episodes, claiming we didn't really love her anyway or appreciate all she did for us. Naturally this consistently prompted me to insist how much we did love and appreciate her and to beg her not to leave us. At some point I'd stopped including my dad in my pleas though after she'd turned on me one too many times in anger for daring to claim my father loved her too. Sometimes she would go as far as packing her belongings, making a great show of throwing things in suitcases, all the while insisting she was doing it for me, that I would be better off without her, that my dad would remarry and be happier as well. But then she'd contradict those sentiments with snide remarks about how she hoped my hypothetical new stepmom would be nicer to me than most were, inciting me to plead even harder with her to stay. I knew Cinderella's stepmom was anything but nice, so I didn't want one of those.

As I got older she stopped threatening to simply leave, escalating the stakes to something more permanent by saying she thought a lot about dying, of wanting to leave the world of the living altogether. She said her life held no purpose; that she struggled for reasons to go on each day. If she died, things would be better she persisted to rationalize, far simpler for everyone concerned. She explained I wouldn't have the added burden of enduring the reservation gossipmongers whispering behind my back about my broken family if she merely dropped dead. It was still frowned upon for one to speak ill of the deceased, she was quick to point out. She insisted she was thinking of me, of what would be best… because she loved me. After all, I was the only reason she'd kept on living as long as she had. Yet at some point she'd clearly determined I would be better off without her and nothing seemed to convince her otherwise.

At first she'd muse aloud about how great it'd be if she just got sick and died of a disease, or how convenient if she could somehow suffer a sudden, massive heart attack like her own father had. Later she began to deliberate over other means, pondering ways she might 'fall asleep and never wake up'. When nothing I ever said to try and dissuade her helped, I began to drown in an abyss of my own worthlessness. Between the ages of eight and ten I was utterly impotent to come up with any argument salient enough to convince my own mother she wouldn't be better off dead. It was unquestionably my most resounding failure. And I couldn't tell anyone. Ironically, she'd always professed she'd rather die than have anyone think she was some whack-job, suicidal loser, and she made me promise never to share with anyone the things she told me.

At some point along the way, following these emotionally wrenching late night episodes, I began a strange habit of my own where I'd spend days afterward lost in quiet contemplation over the concept of my mother's death, imagining my reaction and emotions to such an event, then considering what it would be like living my life without her. I sorted through details like who would make my lunch, who would clean the house, who would help me with homework? I envisioned how my teacher and the kids at school would react when they heard about it. Then to my shame I found myself wondering if the news of my mother's death would be big enough to reach Jared's ears and whether it would be the event that finally made him notice my existence at long last. This most disgraceful train of thought spurred me on to weigh all of the possible advantages, and evaluate all the new beginnings my mother's end might afford me, oftentimes from a disturbingly detached perspective.

It occurred to me I could just go to school, come home, do my homework, hang out with Maggie, simply live my life the way most kids did…_ maybe even be normal? _I might gain more chores to do around the house, but I could actually go through each day without the constant panicked thoughts hovering at the back of my consciousness, wondering what mood my mom would be in from one moment to the next; never knowing what to expect, or what might set her off.

I realized mine were truly evil thoughts for a daughter to have about her own mother, which meant that something was definitely wrong with me for thinking them. I tried to banish all such thought and focus on what a terrible loss it would be if my mother actually died and on how much I would miss her. But it was hard… because it was a lie._ I wouldn't miss her. _And the more I tried to conjure up emotions of loss at the notion of her death, to stir some latent feelings of regret and longing over her imaginary passing, the more I became convinced they'd never exist. As much as I tried not to, after a while I couldn't stop daydreaming, almost fantasizing about my mother dying. I started praying for forgiveness each night before bed, convinced I was surely headed for hell if I continued such awful reflections.

At that point it didn't matter whether I stopped, because the real damage I suspected might haunt me forever had already been done. I'd figured out that I didn't love her, and I couldn't go back to pretending I hadn't.

I didn't love my own mother. I wondered what sort of child concluded she didn't love her mother? It was a hideous secret I would never share; a dark and twisted place within me no one could ever know existed. Yet the more I struggled to tamp out those thoughts and feelings, the more indignant they became… outraged over my desire to preserve peace and status quo within the vortex of my mother's insanity through their suppression.

Experiencing as I did now the inner sensibilities of my other Kimmies, I recollected distinctly the internal rebellion I had in my childhood felt brewing over time, building in force and momentum until it became a full-blown war between the conflicting emotions within me. And these contradictory emotions would often surface and clash during those late night episodes when the uncomfortable task of counseling my mother's suicidal tendencies was thrust upon me. I'd long ago learned the 'right' response was always to appease my mother in whatever manner a situation required. Nothing positive had ever been gained the few occasions I'd lost my head and questioned, argued, or too eagerly offered unsolicited input. Given these were categorically dangerous reactions to her madness, the rising insurgency within me that itched to actually sass my mother, to curse and swear at her despite the certain punishment it would elicit, became a most unmitigated threat to my very existence. _It had to be stamped out_.

I understood at the most primal core of any living creature existed the uncompromising, elemental drive towards self-preservation. _But what if a creature's basic, inherent survival instinct became divided? _What if one side wanted only to fight while the other desired to flee? If each side believed beyond a doubt, that existence itself depended solely upon its chosen course of reaction, to what lengths might each go to ensure what it perceived to be the 'wrong' side -_the mutinous side bent on faulty reaction_— was eradicated? If you sectioned off subversive emotions, ascribed and compartmentalized them as belonging to their own separate entity unrelated to the whole, could then a mind divided against itself stand?

In my gut I knew wrong Kimmie spoke the truth. _I had done this_. Somehow I had carved her emotions from mine, severed all connection to them until they existed only in quarantine as their own separate entity. _And yet still it hadn't been enough_ _to stop her_. I had always been weaker than she was. And through segregating her emotions, I had only made her stronger. So I'd split off yet again, creating what would become little Kimmie. Though I didn't understand it, I knew at some point little Kimmie and I had ultimately joined forces to 'bury' the wrong one so to speak, somehow succeeding in shutting her down completely for all of this time.

But what I truly couldn't fathom was, _why little Kimmie?_ Why would I create a separate entity who seemed to be so inherently weak? And how had the two of us ever managed to overpower wrong Kimmie's emotions when they were so strong? _What could be stronger than rage?_

The answer hit me the same time little Kimmie's emotions did as she rose to the forefront, charging forth to take the helm of our vessel faster than I'd ever yet experienced wrong Kimmie assume the lead.

_**Fear**_.

_Fuck!_ All at once I felt like I was drowning. I panicked. I couldn't breathe. It felt like someone was actually sitting on our chest as our wolf came to an abrupt halt. _Shit!_ Zero presence of wrong Kimmie remained. She'd simply vanished. _We were completely fucked_. Our wolf was tired and hungry. Darkness was swiftly setting in and I had no idea where we even were. It was the worst possible time for little Kimmie to come out and take charge of things. But as I was quickly learning, control over when my other personas came out didn't always seem to be within my purview.

Little Kimmie's overwhelming emotions of fear and despondency were suffocating, virtually paralyzing as they closed in around us. _What the fuck had I done? _Whereas it was no doubt a risky gamble compartmentalizing one's anger until it became it's own form, it seemed altogether suicide to isolate and create an entity almost entirely founded upon fear and desolation. I was powerless to move us. I wasn't sure we were even breathing anymore. What would happen if I had a panic attack in wolf form? Where was Embry when I needed him to whack me on the back? How had I thought I could do this alone?

I tried to push forth my smaller emotions of calm, which were vanishing more and more by the millisecond, but her dominant emotional layer of fear was virtually impenetrable. I tried to block out her thoughts. _They were awful!_ They were hopeless. She was convinced we were going to die tonight in the woods, all alone, an ugly dog who would never be a princess, with Jared's final memory of us being our wolf throwing him aside right after wrong Kimmie had called him a jackass through the mind link.

We were on the verge of a complete meltdown when as if out of a dream, or some wild fantasy, Paul's unmistakable scent wafted over us. At first I thought I had to be imagining it, but then I heard soft footsteps approaching, and my heart soared. Little Kimmie didn't seem as surprised as I was to see him as his form came into view. _How had she known he was following us?_

I was never so happy or so relieved to see anyone in my life as I was to see Paul in human form now, but I was also petrified, because little Kimmie was petrified. And I had no control over how she would react to him. I knew he wasn't exactly her favorite He-Man. _  
><em>

Clad only in a pair of shorts, he approached us cautiously, holding his hands up in supplication. "Please don't be scared, Kimmie." His tone was hushed and gentle, yet I detected a certain anxiety and urgency he was unable to mask. "I'm not gonna hurt you, sweetie. I swear it."

I was both reassured and unnerved by his uncharacteristically docile demeanor, as it seemed to me Paul somehow actually knew I wasn't quite myself right now. He was talking to my wolf as if he was talking directly to little Kimmie… as if he _knew_ she was the dominant personality! _But how could he know?_

Little Kimmie didn't respond, she just rambled on nervously inside our head. Our wolf remained frozen in place, our eyes wide with alarm and darting about.

He swallowed nervously. "I just…I just came to check on you… to keep you company," he explained softly. "I thought… well, I thought you might be _sca-_bored… here all by yourself in the dark."

Little Kimmie still didn't move a muscle, although our entire wolf body was shivering involuntarily. I tried to reassure her that we were safe with Paul, that he was our friend.

He stopped his approach as our wolf's trembling intensified. If felt like our legs were about to give out any second. It occurred to me I'd never seen Paul look so uneasy and insecure before as he did now studying our shaking wolf form. He took a deep breath, and then he tipped his head to the side and to my ever-loving shock and horror he gave us what I could only describe as his best imitation of a disarming Jared smile! _What in the world?_ Oh, my god! There was no way that hadn't been on purpose. Somehow he clearly did know he was talking to little Kimmie. _Christ this was all kinds of humiliating and yet entirely sweet and endearing at the same time! _

"Can I…can I come sit with you?" he ventured.

We didn't budge. Over and over I sent reassuring thoughts to little Kimmie that Paul was safe, he was our friend, he was here to help us and look after us.

"You hungry?" he asked. I knew our wolf was indeed famished. But still Kimmie didn't move, didn't utter a sound. "If you want, I could go find you some food," he offered. I knew he meant to go hunting. Little Kimmie didn't seem too keen on the idea of him killing an innocent Bambi or a Thumper in the woods on her behalf. Truthfully, I wasn't exactly ecstatic at the thought either. "I could even make a fire and cook it for you if you don't want to eat it raw?" he sweetened the offer. He took a step back as if to leave and little Kimmie let out a pathetic little snuffling sound. As anxious as his presence made her, she seemed markedly more nervous at the thought of him leaving us alone in the dark woods.

Paul got the message. Ever so slowly he advanced. When he was about ten feet away he went down onto his knees and crawled the rest of the way, clearly trying to present himself in a manner that was as nonthreatening as possible. His presence and scent were definitely working their calming magic on me. I wondered if they might be doing the same for little Kimmie. It was so hard to tell given her present level of sheer hysteria.

When Paul finally reached out to stroke our muzzle, little Kimmie recoiled slightly at first, emitting a soft whimper, but then she allowed it. Paul rewarded her with his best Jared smile. "Hey, it's okay to be scared," he soothed, dragging his fingers repeatedly through our thick fur. "Everybody gets scared," he assured softly. "Especially Jared," he just couldn't help but add after a beat. "Jared gets scared a _lot_."

I did an internal eye roll. _Always a pissing match_.

"But you don't have to be frightened out here in the woods with me, honey. Besides the fact you're a beautiful princess who turns into a magical she-wolf so powerful nothing in this forest could ever harm you, anything foolish enough to try would have to go through me first," he promised. Our wolf body shifted awkwardly as little Kimmie reacted to his princess compliment. I could sense she was starting to relax and feel more comfortable with Paul in spite of herself.

"You know I also turn into a wolf, right, sweetie?" he asked gently. I felt our muzzle nodding slightly in his caress. "Does that scare you?" Little Kimmie made an odd sound in her throat like a choked whimper. "You know Jared turns into a wolf too?" he checked, earning another nod. "Does Jared's wolf scare you as well?" I felt her indecision at that as she turned her muzzle away from his comforting hands. He didn't try to stop her. "It's okay," he whispered, "I promise I'm not mad. I'm just trying to understand you better."

He professed it so sincerely I wanted to cry. Because to my shame it dawned on me he was making more of an effort to understand her feelings than I ever did. In truth I expended more energy trying to avoid hearing her thoughts and dismissing her feelings as irrelevant, than trying to understand them. Now as I gave her thoughts my full attention for the first time, I realized I had missed quite a lot by ignoring them.

It seemed she didn't really like that Jared was a wolf either but she found his wolf less threatening than Paul's. She understood Paul's was the pack leader. She understood him to be aggressive and she remembered Embry warning us not to submit to him. She remembered he'd fought and injured Sam just to get to us. I realized that at the root of her apprehension was the fact she simply didn't trust Paul. And I was astonished to recognize it was mostly because Paul reminded her too much of our own mother. She'd witnessed his temperamental, volatile nature, and the way he would manipulate our emotions in order to control our behavior. She was afraid of Paul turning on us once we let him in. Afraid trusting him would ultimately come with a price that included sacrifices we weren't willing to concede. _Did I unconsciously share her fears about Paul as well?_ I knew trust was something that could only come through time and experience.

I could see the truth in wrong Kimmie's assertion that Paul and Jared were both manipulative in their own ways. The major differences being in their justifications for said behavior and in how they presented themselves. _Ugh, why did she get to be right all the time? _

I realized maybe little Kimmie's feelings for Jared weren't so simple and easily dismissed. No matter what, Jared always did his best to present the same charming front, making him on the surface seem more stable, less volatile, even though rationally I knew he could lose control over his anger just as easily, if not more so than Paul. But after dealing with my mom's constantly inconsistent behavior, perhaps I'd been so desperate for some stability I was willing to settle for pretense. I had never really known Jared, because he kept so much of who he was and how he felt hidden… a lot like I did. He wasn't comfortable talking about his mother's issues, as I'd witnessed him get angry anytime anyone in the pack joked about her pill use. Hadn't I been the same way with Maggie poking around my relationship with my mother? And I'd never heard Jared even mention his philandering father, just like I never talked much about my absentee dad. While I'd always held him up on a pedestal, viewing Jared and his life as so perfect compared to mine, in reality maybe we were more alike than I'd ever realized. _We had both invested so much in hiding the truth, in establishing realities that were essentially false. _

Together Jared and I might've been some pair, never fully communicating how we really felt, always striving for calm and making every effort to keep things copacetic regardless of any pain we were harboring. We might've never challenged one another; just fallen into a comfortable coexistence with the inner discomfort that surely resulted from hiding one's true self over time in order to present to the world a portrait of phony bliss.

Maggie had always been obsessed with exposing truth. She hated falseness. It was doubtful that as Jared's imprint she'd ever let him get away with his politician behavior, as Embry described it. I hadn't thought I was upset over Jared imprinting on Maggie, but now feeling little Kimmie's presence so strongly I realized I just hadn't really had any emotional response whatsoever yet to seeing the news of their pairing in Embry's head. The reality was, as much as I'd come to acknowledge I'd never known Jared the way I'd pretended to, and despite seeing clearly now how we'd never have made the best match, it nevertheless hurt the part of us that was little Kimmie to accept he would never be ours now. She still loved him. And it wounded her to know it was Maggie and not us who was best for him. It was Maggie who had always been best for him, Maggie who was the one Jared had chosen and wanted all along, Maggie who could provide for him the balance and accurate self-image we never would have.

And here we'd imprinted on Paul, who made us crazy, who pressed all of our buttons and pushed us to reveal emotions before we were ready. He would poke and prod until he uncovered truth much like Mags did. He didn't fuss with appearances because he didn't care so much what people thought. He'd never bothered to conceal his whoring from the reservation's eyes like Jared had. He didn't hide who he was, and he wouldn't let us hide who we were. In this aspect alone he was truly terrifying.

"It's okay if you like Jared better than me," I heard Paul say gently as his fingers stroked over my crown and around my ears.

_What? Was he serious? _Maybe wrong Kimmie wasn't right all the time. Maybe falling in love and imprinting _did_ make people capable of mindreading. It certainly seemed to have worked out that way for Paul's ability to read little Kimmie.

"I won't try to take away your past, Kimmie, or replace all of the good memories you have of Jared. I just want to be your friend now, if you'll have me. And I'm willing to wait… you know, if… if you're not ready to trust me yet with that." He drew our muzzle down as he stroked along our neck. "C'mon, sit with me, please?" he entreated. Little Kimmie wasn't completely immune to the magic of Paul's fingers it seemed, as our wolf was soon sprawled out across Paul's lap on the ground. His touch was so comforting and gentle and without any warning, little Kimmie simply started balling her eyes out, causing our wolf to whimper and snuffle pathetically as Paul embraced us. I was dumbfounded. I searched her turbulent thoughts and found her reaction had much to do with the fact she'd never been hugged or touched much as a child. It seemed as if she was starved for it, and Paul holding and soothing her meant more than I would have ever imagined.

_How odd_. Obviously I'd never been hugged much either… yet it didn't mean so much to me. Strangely I never really cared one way or another if people hugged me.

After little Kimmie finally calmed down and our wolf ceased whimpering, Paul carried us to a more secluded spot amid some larger mature trees. He told us to rest and promised to watch over us, indicating he would shift into his wolf form once we were asleep, since naturally his wolf made a better guard dog for a princess. I was beyond exhausted, so it was a tremendous relief when Kimmie made no protest and settled down easily into the soft earth.

As Paul sat cross-legged next to us, slowly working his hands through our thick fur, he continued his one-sided dialogue with little Kimmie, his voice lowered to an intimate whisper. "I know I'm not always a perfect friend, but I'm trying to be better. I know I mess up sometimes. I get mad and I say and do things without thinking. I never ever wanted to hurt you or scare you, though, and I'm so sorry I did." Little Kimmie shifted our muzzle, gazing up at Paul with renewed interest.

We were rewarded with _his_ smile this time, not Jared's. "It's just… I've been scared my whole life of needing someone… of loving someone so much and having them not love or need me back, of having them just walk away as if nothing I could ever give them was good enough to compete with everything else that was out there in the world calling to them." He shrugged, sighing, "I'm never going to be cool or charismatic the way Jared is." He rolled his eyes and chuckled awkwardly as to my astonishment the bright moonlight revealed an apologetic blush had darkened his cheeks!

His eyes shifted away from ours as he tugged at the back of his neck. "And I doubt anyone would ever describe me as a prince charming-type. So I'm sorry if that's disappointing for you." He groaned in embarrassed anguish as his face flushed even darker in the moonlight. "I… I'm just simple, Kim. I am who I am." He smiled shyly down at me. "My cards are all laid out, honey. You can have whatever you want of me."

* * *

><p>I blinked the sleep from my eyes to find it was not yet light out. I slowly disentangled myself from the warm mass of fur I'd nestled against in my sleep. <em>It was my grey wolf!<em> I bolted upright. The leaf litter scratched against my bare backside as I scooted away from Paul's warm furry body. _Thank the fucking Spirit Warriors_ _I was back in human form!_

I was also stark naked, without a stitch of clothing to my possession out in the middle of nowhere. I looked down at the bared legs stretched out in front of me and didn't even recognize them as my own. They appeared longer, more defined and muscled than I was sure they'd ever been before. _Were my eyes playing tricks on me?_ Wasn't I supposed to have better vision as a wolf? A quick glance at my stomach revealed a six-pack set of abdominal muscles. By the time my eyes reached my chest I'd stopped breathing from shock. _Oh, my fucking Taha Aki, whose body was this I was inhabiting?_

I stood up. It felt a little awkward after being on four limbs for almost 24 hours. It also felt like I was slightly taller than I'd been before. I inspected myself up and down, fingering pectoral muscles that hadn't previously existed, taking in my long, defined arm muscles before finally looking over my shoulder to investigate any noticeable changes from the rear.

_Holy shit, was that __**my**__ ass?_ I reached around and grasped onto firm butt cheeks with both hands. _Oh my stars, my butt totally felt bigger…solid...better!_ I was admittedly a bit enthralled and became somewhat distracted by this new development in particular, craning my neck to look over my shoulder and ultimately turning myself in circles in my zealous desire to check out my newly enhanced caboose.

_Great, I was in human form and still chasing my own tail. _I was so preoccupied I didn't notice Paul's wolf had awakened until his big body stirred and stretched to life on the ground a few feet away from me. _Shoot, had he just seen me doing that?_

He rose onto four legs and shook his silvery fur out. _He was magnificent_. I was captivated by the grace and power he so effortlessly exuded as he ambled closer. _And Lord fucking help me he smelled good_. Now that I was myself again and blissfully absent the presence of either little or wrong Kimmie, I recognized the all too familiar ache swiftly pulsing to life between my new longer legs. _I was most definitely still a bitch in heat. _

I didn't back up and I willed myself not to fidget as my grey wolf came right up and sniffed me. I'd barely blinked before my favorite grey wolf morphed into the enormous, densely muscled Quileute god I'd come to love so much. The one who smelled like earth and home; emanated warmth and possessed a quiet, intense authority over my soul that I both cherished and resented at times.

He smirked, looking every bit like the cocky bastard I'd always known him to be, and it had never looked more enchanting on him. He wasted no time devouring my new form with his eyes, causing my stomach to tighten.

Then he hesitated, asking softly, "Your uh…little…um…is she…?"

Fuck, there was so much explaining I couldn't even begin to do. I could hardly explain it to myself. I just shook my head.

He released a breath, seemingly relieved by my non-answer. "How you… uh… okay?"

I nodded, though I wasn't sure what he'd just asked me.

He smiled. "Good," he breathed, running a hand through his dark crop of hair. "That's…good…" he trailed off, his eyes lingering on the peaks of my breasts.

Did this count as communication? I wasn't sure what we were working out but it seemed to be going well so far.

"Your eyes are still gold," I commented idly as my errant eyes traveled from his face down his chiseled form to rest squarely on his penis, standing proud and erect in the fading moonlight. _Jesus Christ he smelled good._

"And yours are blue," was his soft reply.

"I want…" I began, then swallowed and lifted my eyes anxiously to his when I realized I'd still been staring straight at his huge twitching erection as I'd spoken those words.

"You get," he assured, rushing forward and reaching for me in a blur of bronzed skin, sinewy arms and strong hands that groped and manhandled me with a measure of urgency unlike ever before as he effortlessly hoisted me up and against his hard body. Our lips fused together in a messy, desperate kiss as my legs wound tightly about his torso.

It felt like he was inside of me a millisecond later, pumping up into my hot, constricted channel with long deep strokes that roused me to my very core. I held onto his shoulders as if to preserve my very life. I couldn't suppress the unrefined moans and grunts I emitted against the warm, inviting velvet of his neck as I pressed my pelvis forward into his thrusting hips. I would have sworn his cockhead was actually reaching so far and deep as to kiss my runaway heart for the way he was branding me from the inside. His fingers dug grooves into my new fine backside as he lifted and lowered me with an aggression and abandon that had my slick insides quivering uncontrollably before I'd even uttered my first swear word, coming undone with an almost punishing intensity that brought tears to my eyes.

"Fuck _fuck_… give it to me," he growled vehemently, awakening a foreign, long dormant yearning inside of me that made my heart swell and my sex burst as he gripped my ass in his commanding hands, rocking and grinding me against him as I exploded, sniveling and babbling words against his chest which made no sense strung together. "Let it out," he demanded, "fuck baby… _all of it_," he ordered as he ground inside of me with an insistence I was hopeless to deny.

I wasn't sure what he was asking of me, but as I surrendered control to my fluttering internal muscles, I felt my she-wolf rising to the surface and I cried out against his chest, my mouth hanging open in ecstasy. My tongue savored the smooth, taut skin above his left breast, feeling the pulse of his heartbeat wildly against my lips.

_I wanted him so much_. My she-wolf wanted him. _And he was ours_. He shouldn't have been, but he was. I still couldn't fathom it. Couldn't believe this was real. That he wanted me, all of me, with all the baggage and crazy dysfunction that came with me. I tasted the salt of my own tears against his chest while an awareness that was at once terrifyingly painful, yet utterly divine coursed through me. It was the sensation of my long-sequestered heart opening up. Opening to embrace something it never expected to have, to put faith in a concept it scarcely believed in. I wanted it to be real. But my life had become shrouded in mythos and magic. I was in doubt of my very sanity. I needed something tangible to cling to like I needed air to breathe. Because I wanted…_I wanted so much…_

I sucked his velvet skin into my mouth and I gave in to my highest baser instinct, sinking my teeth into the flesh that pulsed over the beat of Paul's heart. I latched on and didn't let go even when Paul started in surprise; when he swore and yanked at the back of my hair. "_Fuck!_ Christ, Kim," he hissed.

I tasted just a hint of blood in my mouth and my lips formed a seal around my prize as I licked and sucked over his wounded skin. "Fuck…ah fuck…baby,_ baby_," he groaned, his fingers clenching and pulling at the roots of my hair. I swirled my tongue once more over the indents my teeth had left behind before finally forcing my mouth to release what I'd accepted as my destiny. It was then that I realized he was actually holding me in place against him, pulling me towards him by the roots of my hair rather than attempting to draw me away. Unable to pull my mouth from his chest due to his death grip at the back of my head, I hesitantly lifted my eyes to gaze up at him.

His eyes were still glowing with an orange fire as they stared down into mine. He looked positively incredulous. _Was he mad?_ "You marked me," he proclaimed the obvious in a hoarse whisper.

I bit my lip, wincing as I glanced back down to inspect my handiwork. I'd left a slightly swollen, egg-shaped welt on the skin over his heart. It was turning a dark, bluish-purple color in certain spots, with two distinctive blood marks at the outermost points where the skin had been pierced. I felt instantly guilty as I realized it must have hurt.

"You didn't even ask," he asserted to my horror.

_Shit_. He was right. His brows knit together and he scowled slightly as he studied me. _Fuck._ I shrugged sheepishly, babbling, "You…you said I could…um…_before_… ah… remember?"

"Mm-hmm," he hummed, eyeing me strangely. An expression crossed his features that I couldn't quite discern as I felt his still rigid erection twitch sharply inside of me. "I'm not mad, baby," he assured quietly, allaying my worst fears. "I just want too," he rasped.

"Oh…um…o-ka-" I began, only to be silenced by his tongue as he drew my mouth up to his, pulling me by the roots of my hair still as his tongue marked its territory. Soon I was ready to explode all over again just from his erotic tongue's exploit. I pressed my pelvis rhythmically against his, squirming and panting as I attempted to lift and lower myself along his steel shaft still sheathed to the hilt inside of me. But he held me crushed so tightly against him it was a struggle to achieve any sort of movement at all. I whimpered in disappointment when all too suddenly he lifted me unceremoniously off of his hard organ, deposited me on my feet and spun me around so that my back was to him. I found myself on the ground on all fours seconds later.

I expected him to enter me from behind then, and my muscles contracted eagerly in anticipation. So I squeaked in surprise when instead I felt the soft hair at the crown of his head brush against my ass before he lifted my hips up, pulling them back and even wider apart. Then his biceps hooked beneath my spread inner thighs, lifting my lower body off the ground completely. I braced myself on my forearms as the change in angle threw my upper half forward, pressing me further down into the dirt. He held my lower half suspended as his forearms wound up around my open thighs, drawing me up so close I could feel his warm breath against my damp, throbbing center. _Oh, god!_ I felt a rush of anticipation but also of insecurity at having his face so intimately between my legs from behind as his hands stroked and separated the flesh of my ass cheeks.

I wiggled within his hold, mostly to test his grasp, and found that I was pretty well immobilized. My whole body flushed with embarrassment at the thought of him staring at my most private parts up close in the moonlight and particularly in this most unusually vulnerable position. He blew cool air back and forth, up and down from my slit to my anus, causing goose bumps to breakout over my skin. "You can tell me to stop anytime if you don't like something," he murmured in reminder, his heated breath hitting my soaked core right before I felt the flat of his tongue sweep from my clit up to my center, slowly lapping up my juices there before gliding back down to swirl all around my anxious little nub, although not directly over it where I was pulsing and desperate to feel him.

I was already sweating and starting to see spots in my vision as I moaned and clawed at the earth beneath me. I caught his reminder to breathe right before his mouth closed over the sensitive outer spot just below my pubic bone and he began to lick and suck with such a gentle insistence it tugged at my heart as well as the ever-tightening coil amid my groin. I took up a steady chant of curse words interspersed with "oh dear god" and "please, more, Paul" as I clenched and unclenched my hands in the dirt, having nothing else to grasp onto while he teased all around the area I most wanted him to be, occasionally flicking his tongue over it to appease me before I fell apart. I started shrieking when at last he drew my tender clit fully into his mouth, sucking it between his gentle lips with a steady, soft rhythm that set me panting and begging. By the time I reached orgasm I was crying. Crying because it felt so good. Because the whole experience had been so frightfully intimate and had required giving Paul so much of my trust. And because I found that my trust was easier than it had ever been before to give to him after last night.

He licked his way up to my dripping entrance, pausing to collect more evidence of my orgasm on his tongue before continuing to lick up past my anus to the top of my left ass cheek, where he sucked a sizable amount of sensitive flesh into his mouth before sinking his teeth in hard and fast.

_I screamed_. It was more from shock than pain, as the pain was so sharp and quick it was mostly gone by the time I reacted. He proceeded to lave the wound clean, then kissed all around it while it hit me what had just happened. As he lowered my trembling knees to the ground I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the dirt over what a classic, cocky Paul move it had been to mark my ass…_literally_. It was somewhat irritating, but I was too aroused and eager to orgasm again already to give it too much concern. _Damn heat cycle!_

I was expecting Paul to enter me from behind and finally take his own release when once more he surprised me. His chest pressed up against my back and he wrapped his arms around my waist, flipping us over as he dropped onto his back on the ground, taking me with him as I toppled on top of him. He rolled me over atop him until we were chest to chest. His white teeth shone in the moonlight and his chest shook as he chuckled, grinning broadly from ear to ear with delight. Clearly he was amused by his own juvenile wit at marking my hiney as his territory.

This time I directed my eye roll straight at him, mumbling, "_Whatever_, Paul," as I fought my own twitching lips. It was hard not to smile back at him when my favorite dimple was on full display.

He laughed even harder. "Awe baby, don't sulk." His hands ran down my back, stroking over my rear and lingering at the spot where he'd bit me before gliding lower to grip the backs of my thighs, spreading them wider into a full straddle position and then drawing me down by the waist until I felt the tip of his hot erection pressing into my entrance. "I know how much you like checking out your own ass," he explained in his defense. "And I wanted to give you a reason to think of me each time you do."

My jaw dropped open in horror as I realized he _had _seen me turning in circles trying to get a view of my own rear end! Before I could contemplate a sassy retort he'd lifted his head and shoulders up off the ground and taken one of my peppled nipples into his mouth. He proceeded to suck and tug on it with his tongue and teeth until I was moaning; feeling the fluid of my arousal drench his thick cockhead nestled between my folds. He palmed my other breast with his hand. I was in heaven. My eyes drifted shut and I was soon mewling wantonly, completely desperate for him to be inside of me already.

"So what if I own your ass now?" his deep baritone taunted as his mouth released my tender, swollen bud. He rubbed his face along the valley between my breasts as his mouth made its way over to pleasure my other nipple he'd been busy keeping aroused beneath his thumb and forefinger. "You can own my cock if you want to," he offered seductively before his mouth attacked my second breast.

"Please Paul," I begged, clutching his head to my chest. "Please…_please_…" I chanted. I was so hot it felt like I'd go up in flames if he wasn't moving inside of me soon. As it was he still only had his tip pressed against me and despite the fact I'd just had two powerful releases, I couldn't take any of his sexual torment right now.

"You don't have to beg, just take what you want, baby," he groaned over my nipple. "You're the one on top," he pointed out.

Huh? _Shoot, he was right!_ I felt like an idiot then because it hadn't occurred to me I was the one in the driver's seat, so to speak. I was so used to Paul always taking charge of everything sexually. And here I was feeling frustrated when I could've taken him inside of me anytime I'd wanted to. And yet I was still apprehensive, not knowing exactly what I was supposed to do being on top.

"Stop overanalyzing it," he advised, grabbing my hips and pulling me down onto him. I gasped as he unexpectedly pushed his hard length halfway inside my slick entrance. I looked down to find him smirking up at me. "It's not that complicated of a puzzle, baby," he teased as his fingers stroked over my ass and between my legs to where we were joined. "My big, long rod fits into your sweet, tight hole, see?" he explained playfully in mock condescension. "We've solved the whole puzzle," he chuckled, guiding my hips down so that I took more of him inside of me. In spite of my state of arousal and the fact I knew he was just having fun with me, I still couldn't help feeling a little insecure and embarrassed by his teasing. I really didn't know what I was doing, and I wondered if I would always feel somewhat out of my league and inadequate compared to Paul, like I'd cheated my way into the beautiful people's club through the imprint.

"Hey," he whispered, his long fingers wrapping around the column of my throat as he gently drew my face down to his. His eyes held no mockery. "I'm only playing with you, beautiful girl." I nodded, giving him a shy smile. "I love the part of you that's cautious and overanalyzes things," he said solemnly, "just as much as I love the wild side of you that let me stick my hand down your pants in our crowded school hallway." He smiled up at me in that adoring way of his. I giggled remembering how absurd everything had seemed that second day back at school, the day I'd lost my virginity to Paul in the boys' locker room and then discovered vampires and werewolves existed.

"And I love the aggressive side of you that told me off when I was being a dick to you in the woods the other day," he continued. I blushed. And then I dropped my face between his neck and shoulder when it occurred to me how absurd I was for being embarrassed about having expressed anger… anger that had been justified, no less. _No wonder I had created a whole separate Kim to identify the emotion with. _

He kissed my ear, stroking my hair back with his fingers as he whispered in earnest, "And I especially love the dominant, possessive side of you that put your mark right over my heart, honey."

I lifted my head to study his dark eyes before glancing down at the mark I'd made just above his left breast. "You're really okay with it?"

He nodded solemnly. "I love it, Kim." His fingers caressed through my hair, dragging deliciously over my scalp. "But you're upset I marked your ass, aren't you?" he deduced quietly.

I hadn't expected that. I shrugged, not knowing quite how to respond. I guessed I had been a bit disappointed by how unromantic a spot he'd chosen, considering the magnitude of significance the act of marking a mate supposedly held.

"I let you mark my heart, honey, because I'm all in. My heart was yours a long time ago," he confided. "I didn't put my mark over yours because I don't think you're completely ready to give me the same." The truth of his words hit me like a ton of bricks and I felt like such a moron for feeling insulted when here he'd acted in acceptance of the fact my heart wasn't yet as fully invested as his was, knowing I was still holding back. "And I'm okay with it, Kim. I meant what I said last night. I'll wait. I'll take whatever you want to give me for now."

He shrugged sheepishly. "So… I just thought we could start with your ass." He bit his lip to keep from smirking. "Because I _know_ I'm not gonna be sharing that with anyone."

I felt myself blushing at the predatory, yet adoring look in his eyes. "_Ouch!_" I yelped as his hand unexpectedly connected with my ass cheek that bore his mark.

"That was your cue to agree with me, baby, not blush!" he chided.

"Yes!" I blurted laughingly. "_Yes_, you won't be sharing my ass with anyone else!"

"Well thank you for that small favor," he muttered in mock sarcasm as his palm rubbed the sting from my ass. "I've already told you, sweetie, all my cards are out. You can have whatever you want that's mine," he enticed.

I licked my lips_. Holy fuck he was sexy as sin_. I swallowed hard as he lifted his hips into mine. We didn't break eye contact as his big hands found my waist again. I braced myself against his chest as he guided my hips, easing himself inside of me inch by inch while I pushed myself slowly down onto him. _Oh my god, he felt good!_ I liked this new position already.

"Please," he groaned, his eyes rolling back into his head when at last he was seated inside of me, "fuck, baby, _please_ get possessive and mark my damn cock as yours, already. I'm fucking dying here trying to let you have you girl power moment and make the moves."

I gasped and my jaw dropped wide open before I fell into a fit of delighted girlish giggles. "Oh, my god, Paul! That's the most adorab-"

A rumbling feral growl cut off the rest of my sentence and effectively silenced my laughter as suddenly my hips were moving atop Paul's at a frantically fast pace that was set by his hands digging into my ass and waist. I traded girlish laughter for shrieking in orgasm as I felt my muscles clenching him almost immediately. From the way he was growling he didn't seem far from his own release. While my muscles continued to grip his length, his insistent hands on my hips moved me faster and harder against him as he grunted, "Oh, fuck _fuck_… _fuck!_" It felt like a blessed homecoming of sorts to feel his warm release shooting deep inside of me. He squeezed me against him in a bone crushing embrace, murmuring something about giving me my girl power moment the next go around.

As we settled back down to sleep, both of us completely exhausted and utterly spent, he kissed me all over and told me he loved me. I sleepily told him I loved him back. There was so much more I wanted and needed to say, questions I knew I had to ask him about how he'd known the things he had about little Kimmie. But it would have to wait.

As my eyes fluttered shut I thought of little Kimmie, recalling her strange babbling earlier about blood and notes. And I drifted off to sleep, pondering how interesting a substance blood was. Remembering how surprisingly slippery it could be when it pooled upon a linoleum surface, and yet how sticky it became as it clung to the bottom of bare feet, leaving messy footprints behind that stained an orange-yellow patterned floor in such a manner it might never appear to come clean.

**A/N – Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, favorite-ing, all that jazz! :D Considering this chapter nearly fried every brain cell I have left I definitely welcome any love or or hate you wanna throw my way to let me know whether it even made any damn sense whatsoever. I will ****reveal shortly how it is Paul is able to know what's going on in little Kimmie's head. Have a great week! **


	27. Chapter 27  Positively Nuts

_**A/N – Well, the last chapter was a novella, this one not so much. This update doesn't include everything that I wanted it to, but I must go out of town for a bit…and internet service tends to be spotty in the mountains. **_

_**Have a wonderful week! Thanks for all the awesome reviews & favorites.**_

* * *

><p>"<em>So<em>…" Paul began as he casually poked at the logs making up our little campfire with a stick, "when were you going to tell me about Alec?"

Of all the things he might've asked me in that moment, my ill-fated run-in with Alec last week was certainly a topic of discussion I hadn't expected and wasn't prepared for. I glanced up from where I'd been lazily tracing patterns in the dirt with a twig to find his expression completely placid. My heartbeat shifted into double time…I could hear it. He lifted one brow. He'd heard it too.

"How…_who_…?" I stammered, the innocent '_Thumper_' I'd recently consumed suddenly not sitting so well in my stomach.

"I asked first," he countered calmly.

"Who told—?" I tried again.

"_**Were **_you gonna tell me?" he pressed.

"I don't…um…_yee-ah_…'course…_maybe_…later…" I rambled lamely, my mouth going dry as he tossed his stick aside, rising to his feet and nonchalantly closing the short distance around the small fire in my direction…_naked_. I had been sitting a ways away, the heat from the fire having been too much for me with my newfound sense of internal warmth. Paul's angular face was darkened by five o'clock shadow that looked closer to two days' worth of stubble, and it only seemed to make him that much more a portrait of sex walking. I wondered briefly at the fairness of Paul always somehow managing to look like a god while I sat awkwardly clad in his oversized cargo shorts, cinched loosely around my ribcage beneath my bared breasts, making me feel outfitted like some freakishly half-dressed senile senior citizen who was unaware no one wore pantaloons as high as Clark Gable anymore. "You…you're not gonna do anything to Alec…are you?"

"Forget fucking Alec," he dismissed, coming to kneel in front of me. "We'll deal with that dingus when we get back. This isn't about him." He laid his left palm against my right cheek.

_Huh?_ _It wasn't?_ With his right hand he proceeded to gently pry and discard the twig I'd unconsciously snapped from my white knuckled grasp.

"This is about you not trusting me; about you being scared to tell me things because you think I can't control my temper," he imparted softly.

I shook my head rapidly in denial, feeling a growing discomfort in the pit of my stomach.

"I'm not blaming you for it, Kim, I just want to talk about it."

I kept shaking my head. He seemed a little too calm about this.

"_Stop_," he entreated, lifting his other hand to my left cheek and capturing my face between his palms, "please? C'mon, just let me in a little. Talk to me about what happened?"

I didn't want to talk about it. Why did this have to come up now when things were going so well with Paul? And there were far bigger things to worry about than stupid Alec hitting on me in the hallway. _Alison's life was in danger!_ Bennett needed my help. He was counting on me and I hadn't even been in communication with him since I'd left. To make matters worse, after my intense sexual reunion and marking session with Paul I'd crashed so hard I'd slept like the dead, somehow managing to lose almost an entire day's worth of precious travel time. When I'd finally awoken to see that the sun was far too high in the sky to still be early morning, I'd practically suffered a panic attack in my self-loathing at letting both Bennett and Alison down.

Paul had been annoyingly vague when I'd frantically questioned what time of day it was and our precise location on the trail, refusing to accept any guilt for letting me oversleep. I'd barely managed to contain my ire when he wholly dismissed my concerns over being behind schedule, his voice raising loud enough to scatter wildlife as he insisted I had sorely needed the rest and that Bennett would have to be a complete asshole Alpha to expect me to travel when my wolf was clearly exhausted as well as underfed. As irritating as it was, I knew he was right, and the smell of him combined with the rabbit he'd cooked for me was enough to make me tuck tail and bite my errant tongue. I may have been slow at times, but it didn't take genius to count the cards currently stacked against me aligned in my imprint's favor. Besides the fact I was naked in the woods without a single possession and had awakened so hungry my stomach ached, I'd not the first fucking clue how to phase back to wolf form. It would be bad form to piss off the only person present with the ability to help me.

Paul had remained abnormally quiet while I'd inhaled the meal he'd hunted and prepared during my slumber. His concerned searching eyes, however, had periodically canvassed me in a manner that had begun to unnerve me. So I'd distracted myself pondering what pieces I was able to recall of the peculiar dreams I'd had while sleeping on the forest floor. Dreams of shifting back into wolf form, of hearing little Kimmie whisper secrets to Paul I didn't dare to comprehend, my dream mind tuning in and out to overhear her hushed and indiscriminately intimate conversations with Jared. And perhaps strangest of all I had such a realistic memory of being awakened momentarily in wolf form by the foreign sound of little Kimmie's laughter ringing out loud and clearly in my head and somehow knowing it had resulted from Embry telling her goofy jokes. _I was seriously going to need that therapy I always talked about getting._

Paul's fingers caressing my cheekbone brought me back to the present as he studied me expectantly, his eyes still consumed with concern. _I really hated that look on him_. I shifted my eyes downward and caught my mark on his chest. Instantly I felt contrite. _He wasn't my enemy; he was my mate. _Yet it was still so hard sometimes to let him in…_to let anyone in. _

"You saw it through the mind link, didn't you?" I probed, trying but failing to mask my agitation over the present topic of conversation. "Was it Jared's memory of it, or Quil's?"

"Neither." He shrugged apathetically. "What would it matter? I'm asking _you_ because I want to know how _you_ felt about it and why you felt you couldn't tell me."

_Neither?_ _Then how?_ Again he seemed too calm and unflappable over the whole thing. It peeved me to no end after I'd been holding onto fears that he would try to kill Alec whenever he ultimately found out. _Suddenly he was immune to anger now and I was the basket case?_

"But how'd you find out?" I demanded stubbornly, pulling his hands from my face and jumping to my feet. _It was a valid question, damnit_. "Why do you get to know and I'm in the dark?"

"Kim!" he complained, hooking his hands behind my knees and yanking forward, causing me to tumble down onto his lap. He pulled me in closer by my legs until I was flush against him in a straddle position. My eyes narrowed in irritation at first but then as I caught Paul's own glower of frustration I chose to bite my lip rather than deliver the sassy remark on the tip of my tongue. His features almost instantly softened, his bow lips forming into an uncharacteristic pout. "_Please_, baby?"

"Ugh!" I whined. "_Fine_. Alec and his friends sat with me at lunch. It got weird fast so I left. He followed me downstairs and sort of cornered me and then it got even more bizarre. He invaded my space and insulted me and then Jared showed up and broke his hand and jaw," I ramble-explained at Maggie speed, finishing with a snarky, "the end," accompanied by a flippant eye roll.

"Mm-hmm," Paul nodded succinctly after a beat, eying me intently. A long pause ensued. I began to nervously chew on the inside of my cheek under Paul's cool scrutiny. "I'm really sorry that happened," he breathed at last, lowering his head to kiss my shoulder. "And I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you." His words were spoken so tenderly and with such complete sincerity, I was a little dumbfounded. It was hardly the reaction I'd been anticipating from him. His fresh facial hair growth tickled my skin as he proceeded to kiss his way up my neck, his arms winding tightly around my midsection in a comforting embrace.

"Um…it was…fine," I dazedly reassured him, "no…no big deal." _Damnit I heard my own heart rate pick up again._ This calm reaction from Paul was freaking me out. _What was he up to?_ Jared had been ready to phase in the hallway and kill Alec on the spot and here Paul wasn't even trembling? He wasn't even expressing anger, merely concern and…_regret_?

_What the hell!_ I couldn't decide if I was flustered by the likelihood he was playing some sort of new mind game with me or angry and disappointed at his lack of expressed animosity towards Alec.

Paul's nose grazed against my earlobe. It did nothing to slow my ever-increasing heart rate. "Were you scared?" he asked softly. My breath caught in my throat. I recalled how Alec had nuzzled and kissed my neck in the basement, remembered how vulnerable I'd felt when he'd had his body pressed into mine, trapping me against the lockers. "Hmm, baby?" Paul's deep murmured voice prompted. It soothed and unsettled me at the same time.

I couldn't seem to push enough air up past my throat to my larynx, so I simply nodded against his scratchy cheek in answer. "Where did you feel it?" he inquired gently.

My mind drew a blank. I couldn't fathom the question. "Where did you feel the fear in your body, sweetheart?" he clarified slowly and clearly, rubbing his stubbly jaw back and forth along mine. I felt lightheaded and a little sick to my stomach. I heard myself pant for air. "Here?" he whispered, his large hand splaying across my chest, smoothing over my upper ribcage, "lungs?"

I closed my eyes and nodded faintly, feeling oddly embarrassed by this strange line of questioning, even more so by my own admission and doubly so for the fact it'd never really occurred to me before to contemplate or focus attention on where I actually _felt_ certain emotions in my corporeal being. Logically I knew I felt emotions physically, but then I always catalogued and attributed them as brain activity, as entirely mental processes rather than sensory states. I was so distracted by this revelation I barely registered the fact I was no longer sitting upright. Paul carefully laid me down on the ground on my back. I felt his muscled arm supporting beneath me, running almost the length of my spine to the top of my neck, where his palm cradled my head. His other hand warmed my ribcage with soothing circles. He was coaching me to "breathe" as his lips brushed over the bridge of my nose before pressing chastely to my forehead.

I blinked the certain sting from my eyes. _Don't cry don't cry don't cry_. Paul had seen me cry countless times before, and certainly more than enough for my liking quite recently, but for whatever reason I truly resented the very likely possibility of crying in front of him now… about this in particular. So I kept my eyelids squeezed shut and focused on breathing.

"Where else, honey?" he prodded gently as his hand traveled south from my ribs down my stomach to rest over my lower abdomen, causing his loose fitting cargo shorts to fall farther below my hips in the process. "Maybe here?"

I jerked my head once in the affirmative, recollecting my stomach's reaction to Alec. I decided I didn't much like feeling fear in my body at all and the sooner we got this uncomfortable Q&A over with the better. Paul's fingertips traced up the midline of my abdomen to rest over my wildly beating heart. "Here too?" I gave another quick nod. _I needed this to be over_. When his warm fingers drifted up and delicately encircled my neck I released a shuddering sigh and a sniffle as a single traitorous tear escaped my eye. I somehow managed to squeak, "_stop it!_" past the constriction in my throat before he'd even asked the question. The sensation of my own fear lodged in my throat, literally choking me, was one I vaguely realized I was intimately familiar with. I didn't want to think about it further though; and I most certainly didn't want to _feel_ it.

"I'm sorry…it's okay…you're okay…I'm so sorry," he murmured between kisses pressed to my eyelids, cheeks, temple, nose, ears, and finally my lips. Once our mouths connected I attacked his hungrily, eager to replace all sensation of distress with another feeling altogether. I grew bold in my quest to forget, lifting my calf up over his waist to draw him closer, tugging at the soft hair at the back of his head, urging his plunging tongue deeper into my mouth until I felt the reverberation of his growl of arousal echoing down my throat. Then without warning he broke away from me, unhooking my leg from his waist and rising up onto his knees, leaving me feeling cold and confused on the dirt floor as he rubbed his hands over his face, mumbling a string of curse words. _What the fuck?_

I rose to a seated position as he got up and walked away from me, his erection standing stiff as a flagpole as he paced back and forth, tugging at his own hair as he grumbled, "Fuck, Kim, can't we just talk for five minutes without it becoming all about sex with you, _please_?"

I felt sure it might require an engine-powered winch if I was ever going to raise my slackened jaw up off the ground again. _Had Paul Lahote actually spoken those words to me?_ He then had the audacity to chortle at my bug-eyed, gaping countenance. "Sorry…I didn't…" he attempted then fell into another fit of chuckles that had him bending awkwardly at the waist when his glance returned to my still frozen expression of shock.

I crossed my arms over my bare chest. "Fuck you, Paul," I muttered simply before arising to my own two trembling limbs and striding purposefully in the direction I was 89% certain was south. I was in no mood to humor whatever game he was about.

"Baby, come back here," he called after me, choking back his mirth. I kept walking, feeling utterly ridiculous in my topless state, holding his big shorts up around my ribs with my hand lest they'd fall to my ankles. I heard his graceful footfall behind me.

"Aw, c'mon back, honey, we can't leave the campfire unattended," he reasoned affably.

"Then go fucking attend to it!" I spat over my shoulder. Not a moment later I was shackled from behind by Paul's arms and tossed upside down over his shoulder, kicking and cursing as he carried me back to our little campsite. Once set down on my feet I pounded my fists into his chest without pause, rounding on him in anger, "Alison's life is at stake and I'm late going to protect her because _you_ let me oversleep! I don't know how to phase and I have no fucking clothes so _don't…_" I punctuated each word with a blow to his chest, "…_fucking_…_fuck_…_with_…_me!_" To my great satisfaction the final blow I delivered to Paul's shoulder actually caused him to flinch.

"Ouch, baby!" he winced in discomfort. My fists stilled. I hadn't meant to hurt him. I hadn't meant to lose my Clark Gable shorts along the way either, but I found myself suddenly pant-less. As I struggled to catch my breath amid my adrenaline haze I realized now my own chest ached from the blows I'd delivered to his.

"God, I'm sorry…I'm so sorry," I apologized breathlessly to his chest, just before it began to quake. I blinked my eyes upward and almost screamed in vexation at his once again laughing countenance. This time my hands went for his throat when I lunged at him in renewed fury. He ducked and whipped around, swiping my legs out from beneath me with his own and to my embarrassment I found myself all too easily immobilized on the ground seconds later in what seemed to be some kind of awkward wrestling hold.

"Did I ever mention I studied mixed martial arts for nine years?" he imparted with great amusement. I groaned and rolled my eyes unable to do much else given the chokehold I was caught in, yet still squirming nonetheless. "You know, it's a shame you're not in my pack because there are some really cool moves I would teach you, _if_ you were," he taunted in that sexy timbre of his that spoke directly to my nether regions.

"And," he whispered, brushing kisses over the hair at my crown, "I want you to know, it's _always_ okay for you to get mad at me." I gave up struggling and let my body go limp atop his at those words. _What the fuck?_ We were both naked, my back to his front, with his legs wound up over my thighs in some kind of pretzel death grip. "And you can even practice throwing punches at me if you want to express it physically," he offered jovially. "We could spar…we could wrestle…"

As I lay perfectly still in his arms, caught off guard attempting to decipher the hidden message behind this unusual, confusing offer, it took all the willpower I possessed not to sniff audibly at the crook of his elbow pressed up against my neck where his scent was delectably strong. _I had to stay focused on Alison and Bennett. _

"Will you _please_ just teach me how to phase back so I can get to California?" I implored. "Please, Paul?" I beseeched, my fingers stroking what skin I was able to reach on his forearm around my neck. "I'm well rested and fed now and I really need to get going. It's already Monday evening for crying out loud," I squawked in renewed distress.

I felt a rush of hot air at my crown as Paul sighed wearily and relaxed his hold. "Actually, honey, it's _Wednesday_ evening. You slept for two and a half days, Kim."

I was going to need that motorized winch to scrape my jaw off the ground again. "Oh, dear god, please tell me you're just fucking with me, Paul?" I begged.

The broad chest pressed tightly up against my back shook once more with laughter. "Baby, why would I fuck with you after you just beat the shit out of me and told me not to? You think I want PMS Kimmie coming after me with her Ginsu knife claw set?"

_PMS Kimmie?_ He couldn't possibly mean…? "Fuck, Paul, this isn't funny!" I squirmed and twisted in his hold. "I need to find a way to get in touch with Bennett. You have to help me phase, damnit!"

He flipped me over and onto my back. Straddling my waist he pinned my legs firmly down with his own and shackled my arms up over my head with his hands.

"What in the fuck are you doing?" I blustered. "Quit manhandling me already! I can't afford to waste anymore time."

He smirked down at me, admitting evenly, "Well, in the first place, baby, it's pretty fucking fun just being able to wrestle and toss you around like this and not have to worry constantly about hurting you anymore." He grinned mischievously from ear to ear. "You may not realize it yet, but your wolfing out just opened up a whole new world of possibilities for us we haven't even begun to explore." He wagged his brows suggestively. "But excitement over our new potential for acrobatic spar-fucking aside, it so happens I'm about to tell you a few things now that might upset you. So, _this_…" his gaze flitted over my manacled limbs in indication, "is a precautionary measure. Because we both know how strong ball-buster Kimmie gets when she flips her wig, and according to Lil' Kim, we haven't even seen the worst of her rage yet."

My stomach dropped right out of me without warning. I imagined it speeding through the earth's core, already on its way to the other side of the world_. I so wanted to follow it! _Yet I had to stop hiding from the truth. It was that choice which had gotten me here in the first place. I already knew on some level the answer even as I unclenched my shaky jaw to form the question.

"How…how do you know so much about little Kimmie?" I inquired hesitantly. Followed by a not so tremulous, "And for the last time, tell me who's fucking mind-meld memory tipped you off about Alec, please!"

Paul's cocky smirk gave way to a wan smile as he imparted cautiously, "_Well…_ when you and self-righteous Kimmie chose Bennett's pack… you never gave Lil' Kim a choice." He hesitated a moment, his eyes skimming over my features. "So somehow she remained in my pack…initially by default, I reckon." He paused again, gauging my reaction. "After Embry and I saw you off last Sunday, and I shifted back to wolf form to follow you, I realized I could hear her…that she was still linked to me even though you and know-it-all-Kimmie weren't anymore. _'Course_…" he tilted his head and winced, looking slightly guilty, "by extension I may have also been able to hear _some_ of your thoughts and conversations with pissy Kimmie through Lil' Kim's mind's processing them. Sort of how Bennett and I had peripheral access to one another via mind link through you before you chose between packs." His eyes flew skyward as he mumbled, "Fuck this shit's getting complicated."

I remained silent. I wondered if my face held any expression at all; it felt frozen in place. I was sure I knew exactly whose memory Paul had seen of Alec.

Paul blew out another anxious breath before dropping the bomb I'd accurately suspected was coming. "I saw Lil' Kim's memory of the incident with Alec." His deep voice remained calm, though his eyes visibly darkened. "And I think the fact all I've killed are a few bunnies in the past 36 hours or so since seeing Lil' Kim's replay, provides sufficient evidence of my ability to manage my anger."

I shifted my gaze uneasily. "I…I'm sure whatever version she showed you was way worse than it actually was."

"_Yeah?_ Oh, I'm not so sure 'bout that." He tilted his head askance, his eyes penetrating mine. "Because after I saw Lil' Kim's version, I made Jared and Quil show me theirs as well."

_Shit. _Fucking meddling little Kimmie!

"Look," he exhaled audibly, "I realize you and vengeful Kimmie are probably going to view this new development with Lil' Kim as yet another example of me being manipulative, but I swear it's not like that. It's not as if I planned things this way," he defended. "That first day running the trail after you, hearing Lil' Kim's thoughts…they were some of the worst moments of my entire life." He shook his head. "Fucking awful...I had no idea what to do…I was scared to even reveal that I could hear her because I didn't want to freak her out. She was so skittish and petrified already."

I averted my eyes; praying I could magically vanish, somehow disengage from the frightening myriad of emotions I saw reflected in Paul's eyes. Yet in spite of myself I continued to hang on my imprint's every spoken word, for the first time truly sensing his thoughts and feelings as if they were also my own.

"But after I was able to calm her down talking to her in human form Sunday night when she got spooked, well, I felt a little more confident in my ability to interact with her through the mind link." I returned my gaze to find his brow furrowed in concentration…or determination. "Then shortly after you and I fell back to sleep Monday morning, I awoke to find you'd shifted and were sleeping in wolf form. So I phased wolf too and when Lil' Kim woke up, I…started talking to her." He paused, his lips twitching at the corners as he stared off into space. "And she was just…so…" he shrugged, biting his lip, "_adorable_…wacky…so…_loveable."_

My stomach flipped in apprehension. _Was there another little Kimmie I didn't know about? _

Paul chuckled to himself at some private memory. He was grinning like a goddamn goofball. "She's like the you I could never access, you know?" he revealed, his face alight with an enthusiasm I couldn't begin to fathom as his eyes returned to mine.

_He couldn't possibly be talking about the same little Kimmie I knew! _

"I used to sort of…watch you…study your expressions in class or in the lunchroom…way back even in Tribal School." My eyes flew wide at his confession. "You never noticed." He wrinkled his nose. "Pretty sure a few other people did."

_Maggie!_ Fuck that Nancy Drew BFF of mine had never missed a beat. She'd been right to think me clueless.

"I learned all your different sad faces, your scared looks, confused expressions, determined glares." His mouth twisted into a wry grin. "I used to try to imagine what you were thinking when you made them, to guess what was going on in your zany head. It drove me fucking nuts not knowing. I mean, you'd sized me up and disarmed me in the first five minutes you met me. I always felt like you could see right through me…like some simpleton shmo…an _Easy Reader_ you'd skimmed and discarded, not worthy of a second review."

I shook my head. "No, it wasn't like that," I insisted. "I never saw you that way, Paul."

He stared down at me with interest.

I chewed my lip. "I just…well…you made me nervous." I scrunched my nose up, feeling lame for having made that admission.

"Am I making you nervous now?" he breathed, lowering his forehead to mine. Releasing my wrists, he trailed one hand down the underside length of my outstretched arm to my shoulder. Leaning up on his opposite forearm, he let his fingertips trace lazily along my collarbone as he hovered above me.

"_Yes_," I squeaked as his mouth traveled to my neck. I squirmed as the brush of his stubble tickled me.

"Good," he murmured. "So much easier to manipulate you into making poor decisions when you're nervous." I giggled as he kissed his way up to my ear, adding, "Make sure you tell supercilious Kimmie I said that too."

"Well, aren't you just the clever _Easy Reader_, Paul," I sassed, winding my arms up around his neck.

"Hey!" his head shot up. "That's your _third_ attempt at humor in one week, baby." He grinned proudly, pinching me playfully under the chin. "You'll be funnier than my accountant dad soon if you keep practicing like this."

I stuck my tongue out. "Oh, hardy har har!"

Paul grimaced, hissing air in through his clenched teeth. "_Oooh_…that hardy har's gonna set you back a few paces though." He shook his head, feigning disappointment. "You really need to work on your sarcasm if you're gonna make cynical Kimmie proud."

"Will you stop calling her names, already?" I finally chided awkwardly, smacking his chest. _Shoot, had I really meant to defend my angry alter ego out loud, as if she was a real person?_

"Oh, right, she prefers being called '_wrong_' all the time," Paul quipped, raising one brow, "because that's way more validating."

My eyes widened. Had he just baited me into defending wrong Kimmie?

"So…as I was _saying_," he proceeded, lowering his mouth to nibble idly on my earlobe, "you kept sleeping in wolf form, so I kept on interacting with Lil' Kim whenever I felt her stirring. And now…" he raised his head, shrugging his shoulders and cheesing like a lunatic, "I think Lil' and I are becoming solid friends." He looked so oddly proud at that announcement I was torn between laughing and balling.

I swallowed hard. _Taha Aki, he was the best imprint ever!_ I knew I rightly should have been mortified beyond measure, but on some freaky level I'd already known Paul knew about little Kimmie and wrong Kimmie. _And that he'd just accepted it. _Like it was somehow…_normal_. And by some inexplicable enchantment I was oddly okay with the fact that he knew…because he was my imprint, _my mate_. I imagined maybe it would be one of those bizarre understandings between just the two of us as part of the mystical bond we shared.

"I'm so sorry, Paul," I intoned, cupping his jaw in my hand. "Jesus, how could you ever think I'd get mad at you for this? For babysitting my insanity?"

He shook his head. "It's not like that," he defended, "Lil' Kim's awesome. Pretty fucking cool as far as princesses go." He winked, gifting me with a lopsided grin.

I rolled my eyes. _Dear god, were we really having this conversation?_

"_And…_well…there's more," Paul winced sheepishly. "Last night, I decided to introduce Lil' Kim to Jared via the mind link… _and then Embry and Sam_," he tacked on the second part rather quickly as my eyes widened in horror. I felt my cheeks heat up instantly. "And just this morning she chatted with Seth and Jacob while they were on patrol, too," he confessed hurriedly. My jaw gaped open…_yet again._ Paul frowned. I could feel my forehead swiftly dampening with perspiration. "Look, don't get upset, Kim." His eyes scanned my features anxiously. "If it helps, you should know I've avoided having Quil phased so far when Lil' Kim is because he thinks about porn so much," he reassured me, adding cryptically under this breath, "and in the last 24 hours... exclusively lesbian porn."

_How the hell was that supposed to help?_ That **one** out of all seven of them hadn't been personal witness to my internal madness? If anything I probably cared least of all what Quil thought. He was directly descended from screwballs himself! Out of all of them he would've probably been the least disturbed by the aberrations inside my head.

I was completely aghast as I stared up into Paul's annoyingly concerned features. Utterly dumbstruck at the notion he would've bothered himself with shielding little Kimmie from Quil's lascivious teenage mind. _As if it mattered?_ As if _**she **_mattered? She was nothing but all of the worst parts of me. She existed only as the horrors of my past, the lowest of my weakest moments and worst failures in life- the embodiment of my most tragic flaws and damaged places.

And as real as she had felt to me recently, until ten seconds ago I was still able to make believe at least on some level that she was mostly a figment of my imagination…_and now perhaps of Paul's imagination too as a result of his shitty ass luck in being my imprint!_

But how could I dismiss the fact that six out of seven He-Men had heard little Kimmie too? Six out of seven had actually spoken…_err_…_mind-link interacted_… with her! Had somehow acknowledged and validated her existence, her crazy thoughts and feelings?

I felt my anger suddenly bubbling forth, and with it a most peculiar and distinct comprehension that it was truly _**my **_anger. Not wrong Kimmie's. _**Mine**_. For a change I didn't automatically register and associate it as an emotion that didn't feel like my own.

_**I owned it. It was me…I was angry.**_ I covered my face with my hands.

"Awe honey, c'mon, don't feel embarrassed or weird about this, 'kay?" Paul entreated casually.

_Huh? As if embarrassed and weird could even begin to cover it!_

"The guys are all so stoked to have Lil' Kim on our team," he professed excitedly.

I peeked through my fingers at him in disbelief. _Team?_ Was he fucking kidding me with this? My hands fell away as I narrowed my eyes at him.

"And have any of you morons noticed that I'm _**one**_ fucking person?" I shrieked. "How the hell can I be on _**two**_ teams? In two different packs?" I shouted, pushing against his wall of a chest with all of my new supernatural strength as I shifted my weight to sit upright. He didn't offer up any resistance, just moved out of my way, and I bolted up awkwardly.

"Well, fuck, it's _your_ head, Kim," he muttered crossly. "It's not like we make the rules." He folded his arms across his chest where he sat just a few feet too far away from me now. He was scowling at me slightly.

_Shit, my imprint looked disappointed_. _Maybe hurt?_ It made my heart ache.

_Fuck._

I drew my knees in close to my chest, wrapping my arms around myself comfortingly. I suddenly wanted to cry. "You think I'm crazy," I confirmed in a small voice. "Don't you?"

My eyes pleaded with his for the truth.

Paul's brow furrowed.

I sighed. "I mean…" I chuckled bitterly, "you think I'm positively nuts…_right?_"

His eyes darted about for a moment, as if in genuine confusion. Then he shook his head slightly, his expression incredulous. "Uh…_**yeah**_!" he blurted loudly in accord.

"Baby, I've told you already I thought you were fucking nuts from the first moment I saw you in 4th grade!" He threw his hands up in disbelief. "C'mon, you've worshipped _Jarhead fucking Cameron_ for most of your life…a boy who never even said two words to you. You idolized his pill-popping-shit-casserole-baking-stick-her-head-in-the-sand mom for Christ's sake," he summed up disparagingly. "I think you're out of your motherfucking mind, sweetheart!" he concluded in exasperation. "But what the hell does that have to do with anything we're talking about?"

My brows knit together. _Was he daft?_ "Erm…only everything?" I contended, regarding him as if he was the one whose brain was malfunctioning.

He shook his head. "What does it have to do with me loving you and wanting you to be more comfortable expressing emotions and opening up to me, baby? How does it relate to the guys and me being psyched to have Lil' Kim as part of our pack now?" he questioned with such gentle sincerity.

_Fuck me. Where was my damn motorized winch already? _

"I've told you before I was smitten from the first day I met you, Kim… right after pegging you for a total weirdo," he emphasized. "And for me, having access to Lil' Kim now is like magically gaining entry to the parts of you I used to watch over and yearn to understand but could never know all these years," he reconfirmed.

I was speechless.

"So? What's your fucking problem?"

_Shit. Was that rhetorical? Where would I start?_

"You're different. You think I'm not?" He rolled his eyes. "You think any of the guys in our pack are_ 'normal'?" _he challenged_. _"I mean…_c'mon_," his brow shot up, "…you think any of their imprints are? _Leah and Bella!" _he scoffed. "Honey, those bitches are bat shit crazy!"

I bit my lip to stifle a giggle as Paul's words conjured up memories of my brother's loony bin imprint Bella wreaking havoc and managing to endanger her own person at every turn in the Forks supermarket.

Paul's lips curved into a sexy smile, his eyes shining with amusement as he asserted matter-of-factly, "So you're fucking nuts, baby? Right now you're the only one among us who seems to have a problem with that fact."

I chewed my lip, still bereft of speech. It was a lot to digest.

"Tell you what," Paul offerred smugly as he crawled over on all fours and gently pressed me back down to the leaf litter, "why don't you summon up boundary-setting Kimmie? Let her know I marked your fine ass after she took back permission and tell her I'm dying to spar-fuck her whenever she's got the moxie to throw down with her rightful Alpha."


	28. Chapter 28  Catching Reverb

**A/N – I know, I know. I have lots of good reasons I won't go into… mainly life and a busy, high stress job. I know I've pretty well sucked lately at responding to readers too. So apologies and many thanks for all the kind reviews! **

**I also got a little sidetracked with my three-part Quil/Alison outtake, **_**Because we both like Women**_**. Those of you who've read it now know a little more about Alison's past and also who her vampire stalker is. It's not essential to read it though as I'll cover those points, minus some details, in the main story as we pick back up with Alison and Quil getting attacked by Felix in the presidential suite master bathroom of the Seattle **_**Four Seasons**_** in Chapter 29, **_**Ensigns and Allies**_**. **

**This chapter reveals some deeper layers of Kim's personality, and also uncovers some critical, underlying layers essential to the story line. Please note I shift back and forth between Kim POV and Paul POV. So, picking up where we left off in the leaf litter with Kim & Paul last chapter…**

* * *

><p>"Stop teasing me about this," I managed in between kisses, "it's not like I can just conjure her up anytime I want to by thinking about her and wishing she'd appear."<p>

"No?" he chuckled. "Mm…shocking…" he teased, casually leaning up on one elbow alongside me, "guess I'll just have to keep poking and irritating you until I hit one of her hot buttons that pushes her out then."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, my wild hunch is this isn't about thinking, honey. It's about feeling. I know in your mind it seems like it's your thought patterns that distinguishes you from the other Kims, but I think it's more about how their emotional responses and attachments to thoughts _feel_ to you."

"Um…_maybe_…" I allowed hesitantly, not wanting to admit he'd pretty well lost me already with this particular line of reasoning.

"Don't you think that's _maybe_ what keeps you separate from them most of the time? The fact that you're wholly uncomfortable feeling the other Kims' emotional responses to certain things? So uncomfortable you don't want to acknowledge them as your own… you want to attribute them to other identities entirely?"

_Shitfire_.

"M-maybe…" I shrugged noncommittally.

"I mean, you can't _think_ negative emotions away, baby. You have to feel 'em to be able to release them… to really let them go."

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. Since when had my imprint watched Dr. Phil? Where was he getting this shit?

An embarrassed flush stained his cheeks as he expounded, "Otherwise small emotions grow bigger than they need to."

He saw the question mark in my eyes… as well as in my dropped jaw, rolled and averted his own before mumbling in answer, "I… I went… well, my dad _made_ me… go to therapy when I was younger for… for anger management." He released a whoosh of tense air, simultaneously cursing under his breath.

I bit my lip and by herculean effort managed to suppress the first fit of wild giggles mercilessly tickling my ribs.

"Don't you fucking dare Kim," he warned, his eyes shooting daggers at me. I noted, however, that his lips persisted in twitching despite his best efforts to look menacing.

"I'm sorry," I croaked breathlessly, my eyes tearing up with mirth.

"Uh-huh…right. Laugh it up, nutso." He rolled his eyes at me. "You're just lucky I've had anger therapy."

_That did it_. I started full out cackling.

He huffed and shook his head but then grinned and chuckled lightly along with me nonetheless. "And you know, if _you'd_ been to therapy before you'd know this whole hyena bit you do is called _deflecting_."

_Oh, god… no he didn't! _I completely lost it then, covering my mouth with both hands to stifle the most shrill, unladylike shrieks of laughter.

"You said '_deflecting_'!" I squealed hysterically beneath my palm, setting off a fresh round of guffaws.

He kept shaking his head, gazing patronizingly down at me. "Kim, I'm trying to talk-"

"And not ten minutes ago," I interrupted, choking on my own laughter, "you used the word '_yearn_' in a sentence!" I screeched like a lunatic. I felt certain I was going to piss myself at this rate.

"Kim?" he tried again to gain my attention. He wasn't laughing, or even smiling anymore. In fact, he looked decidedly vexed.

I knew he was trying to have a serious conversation and I was testing his patience, but I couldn't stop. Paul Lahote was using verbs like 'deflecting' and 'yearn', talking about doing time in therapy for anger management of all things! It seemed as if all of my pent up stress, fear and anxiety of the last few weeks that had been suffocating me burst forth in the form of hysterical wheezing laughter now.

"Kim, stop, please?" he asked gently.

"I _can't_," I gasped for air through another cackling fit, "I can't stop!" I protested.

He growled, clearly irritated. For some reason it made me laugh harder. "Just…ugh!" he exhaled, rolling his eyes. "_Please_, baby?" he implored. "Please just stay focused, this is important."

I felt badly for disrespecting his attempt at serious dialogue, but my funny bone had been fully activated and now there was absolutely nothing that could stop it.

Nothing that is… _except _for perhaps Paul's hand suddenly stroking between my thighs, his fingers sliding deftly along my slit while his tongue laved my earlobe_. _

_Oh, my! _

Giggles gave way to moans as I was soon squirming and writhing beneath his hand. He was crooning words of encouragement in my ear as I raised my hips to greet his thrusting fingers.

"That's it… just like that… ah, fuck yeah…" he coaxed as I mewled and quickened the pace of my hips, racing towards my finish line.

_And then he stopped_.

He withdrew his fingers abruptly as his nose rubbed casually over and alongside mine. I groaned noisily, wiggling beneath him in frustration.

"So," he drawled, "where do you feel the tension in your body _now_?" he had the supreme audacity to calmly ask as he smirked down at me.

_Was he serious? Where the fuck did he think? _

"Come on, baby, this is an easy one," he chided.

"Paul!" I wailed_. _

"Where?" he demanded, the heel of his palm pressed against my mound, pushing my thrusting hips back to the ground, yet not giving pressure against me quite where I needed it. "Tell me where," he coaxed patronizingly, a promise of reward in his tone.

"You're such an asshole!" I sputtered. "Where the fuck do you think?"

"Aha!" he chuckled, "And now I see we've found anger! Tell me, princess, where do you feel the _anger_?"

"Fuck you!" I spat, pushing against his shoulder in an effort to get up.

He flipped us over so that I was on top straddling his waist, his bulbous tip probing my dripping entrance. "Anytime," he whispered. "If you want it, Kim," he challenged, "why don't you just take it?"

I groaned, torn between answering the call of lust inside of me, and doing just what he suggested, and spitting in his stupid perfect face. His beautiful face that was gazing lovingly up at me now.

_Goddamnit!_

"You think I asked you to identify where you felt the fear in your body with Alex because I'm some kind of a masochist?" he inquired unexpectedly, his tone almost sounding hurt.

I blinked. I hadn't really understood why he'd asked me that. I just knew it made me uncomfortable.

"If you don't know where you feel fear…where you hold onto it in your body, how can you let it go? How can you let any emotion go?"

He was massaging my breasts with one hand as he spoke, the other hand traveling up and down my back reassuringly. It only made me hotter for him, despite my irritation with him, fueling the primal instinct to impale myself onto his inviting thick length prodding conspicuously against my entrance.

"Take it," he entreated, his black eyes half-lidded. "Why do you always hesitate, baby?"

I couldn't define why, but his words made me suddenly and markedly sad inside, touching some deeper, wounded void within me I didn't want to know about.

"C'mon, take me like you bit me, honey," he teased. "You act like you want to be powerful and autonomous, you refuse to be part of my pack and let me take care of you, but you won't take control even when I try to give it to you." He was goading me good-naturedly, flirtingly, yet there was a larger message I took from his words and I couldn't help feeling horribly disappointed in myself.

"It's hesitation that can get you killed out in the wild, baby," he informed me with a sexy, devilish smirk. "So why don't you take my cock now like your life depends upon it, hmm?"

Excited howls suddenly erupted in the not so distant wood, breaking the spell of my own thoughts and Paul's seduction.

"Awe, FUCK! They're three hours early!" Paul griped, his eyes rolling back in his head in abject frustration on the ground beneath me.

"Who?" I asked anxiously. "Oh, my god, is that the pack arriving? Is Embry coming?" I inquired giddily, beyond thrilled at the notion of seeing Embry, not to mention the prospect of perhaps getting some actual clothes to wear. It was too much to expect Embry might think to bring me a hairbrush, so I dared not allow myself to hope. I jumped to my feet, abandoning Paul and his soon to be blue balls on the ground in search of something to cover myself with. _Served him right anyway that his teasing had backfired_.

"Uh-uh," Paul muttered crossly, "s'not _my_ pack." His entire demeanor had become decidedly dour. "It's fucking Bennett and _your_ pack. And that asshole is early!" he complained again.

"Bennett!" My eyes lit up, but my emotions were immediately divided between happiness and exasperation. "Ugh! Paul, I have nothing to cover myself with. Why didn't you tell me Bennett and Sensai were coming? And don't call my cousin an asshole!" I scolded.

"Sensai?" he frowned. "Who's Sensai? You know an actual _person_ named Sensai?"

"Yeah… no… I mean, not yet." The howling was growing louder, getting closer. I stumbled around frantically. _There was literally nothing to cover myself with!_ "He's this actor guy in Bennett's pack who's scared of carbs. Fuck, Paul, where are your shorts? What am I supposed to cover with?"

"Actor?" Paul derided. "Bennett has a shape-shifting actor in his pack named Sensai?" He mumbled something under his breath in disgust. He'd also risen and was searching the grounds for my long lost Clark Gable shorts. "Fuck if I know, you're the one who lost 'em. Look on the bright side, at least you're not naked sporting giant wood about to meet your girlfriend's cousin, aunt and uncle for the first time."

"_What?_" I gasped. "Aunt Susie and Uncle Todd are here too? Jesus Christ, Paul, what else haven't you fucking told me since I woke from my Rip Van Winkle nap?"

He started chuckling amiably and I was relieved, despite my annoyance with him that his foul mood showed signs of improving. "We're spending the night in Ashland with them. They rented some cabin in the woods or something. Then we're flying out of Medford with Bennett and I guess that actor dude tomorrow morning. Your cousin Alison and some of the pack are meeting us at the airport in Seattle."

"Alison?" I bolted upright from my crouched position sifting through the brush for Paul's shorts. "Since when is Alison in Seattle with the pack?"

He tugged at the back of his neck and winced sheepishly. "_Well_… it's kinda complicated…"

**88888888**

* * *

><p>"Oh, Kimprint? Kimprint, do you have any dietary restrictions we should know about?" Kim's Aunt Susie hollered out in my direction from where she was unpacking bags of groceries in the kitchen of the cabin where we were set to stay for the night.<p>

_Say what? _Was she…was she talking to_ me? _

"Kimprint?" she repeated, tipping her head through the kitchen doorway and looking at me expectantly.

I rose from where I'd been fidgeting restlessly on the couch in the small living room area and came to meet her tiny frame in the doorway of the kitchen.

Over her head I saw Kim's uncle Todd run a weary hand over his face and groan as he assisted with the grocery bags. "Sweetie, _don't_," he warned.

"What?" Susie squealed, her baby blue eyes wide with innocence as they darted back and forth between mine and Todd's.

She was an impossibly tiny hoquat, slender and petite, very similar in frame to her daughter Alison based on what I'd seen in Quil's thoughts through the mind link, only Alison had inherited more of her dad's Quileute coloring rather than her mom's pale skin, blond hair and blue eyes.

Todd rolled his brown eyes, giving me an apologetic look. "Honey, I told you not to call him the imprint," he admonished under his breath.

"I didn't," she protested, "I called him _Kim_print, Todd. Bene said I could!"

"Well Bennett's not here to protect you from getting clawed by an angry shape-shifter." Todd pointed out, proceeding to pull pots and pans out of cupboards, filling one with water and setting it on the stovetop. "Don't even think about asking me to defend you either. I pulled a hammy in racquetball yesterday. Plus, I just increased your life insurance policy earlier this month."

"Pshaw!" she scoffed, assembling various vegetables and lining them up next to the giant cutting board. "He wouldn't harm Kim's favorite Aunt! Besides, someone so clearly powerful and virile would never be so insecure with his masculinity as to get upset over an adorable little nickname like Kimprint," she argued with a conspiratorial wink in my direction.

_What game was this crazy bitch playing at? _

"And I increased _your_ life insurance policy last month, old man," she shot back at her husband.

Kim's aunt and uncle were unquestionably odd. The whole family was nuts from what I'd seen so far. I'd been irritated to no end by Bennett in particular- Kim's supposed _Alpha_. He'd met up with us in the woods carrying a little duffel bag of clothing for Kim in his mouth. Once I'd passed it to her where she was hiding behind some bushes, he phased and I'd then tried to engage him in polite conversation. But he kept sniffing the air distractedly like some cokehead, barely responding to me. When Kim emerged from the bushes, dressed in some kind of slinky, long yellow sundress her aunt had chosen for her of all fucking things, she'd literally leapt into Bennett's arms, letting him twirl her all around, lifting her over his head and calling her Kim Kong, both of them laughing like the moronic joke of a nickname was somehow hilarious.

After some stupid, meaningless platitudes about how he'd missed her and how excited he was to have her in his pack, Bennett fucking announced he'd been feeling drawn by some strange pull, some bizarre _smell_ that he just had to seek out and said he'd decided to continue north on four legs towards Seattle on his own, rather than wait for our flight in the morning. Kim seemed wholly unperturbed by the fact her cousin and Alpha was abandoning her, a brand new wolf and member of his pack, after all of five minutes to search out what was probably a fucking fawn or some shit in the woods. Rather than bitch slap him as I'd quietly hoped she would for having her run her newly phased ass almost halfway down the Pacific Crest Trail to assist him in protecting his sister who had somehow slipped right out from under his fucking nose to hop a flight to Seattle days prior, she hugged him and wished him 'luck' on his olfactory-driven mission.

The idiocy was not to end there though, as before parting ways, Bennett graciously walked with us for less than an eighth of a mile to where his pack-mate, the actor Sensai, was busy practicing lines with himself while waiting with Bennett's Jeep to transport us to the cabin in Ashland. During the thirty-five-minute drive to the cabin, Kim and Sensai somehow became fast friends, chatting and giggling about perfectly inane topics like they'd known one another for years, Kim ultimately rehearsing lines with him for the last twenty miles while I sat in the backseat trying not to phase and rip Sensai's gel-haired head off.

We'd arrived at the cabin just in time to see Todd and Susie unloading an Escalade brimming with luggage, groceries and supplies. After the introductions I casually confirmed with Kim's Aunt Susie that we were all still staying for just the _one_ night, to which she belly-laughed hysterically, then shocked the shit out of me by slapping me on the ass good-naturedly, right in front of Kim and her own husband, shrieking, "Welcome to the family!" Both Kim and Todd somehow also found this uproariously funny, and not the least bit out of place or inappropriate… as if she'd merely buddy smacked me in the shoulder.

The entire situation was so surreal. Todd and Susie seemed unnaturally calm about the fact their son and niece were shape-shifting wolves, that said _Alpha_ son, Bennett, had randomly just traipsed off on some scent mission, that their daughter Alison was being stalked by a lovesick vampire and had recently been imprinted on by another shape-shifting wolf. I couldn't help but envision how well Quil would fit right in with this crackpot family should things somehow work out for him and his kooky lesbian imprint, Alison.

Todd and Susie simply seemed to take all of this supernatural insanity in stride, making jokes and calling me 'Kimprint' while I seethed over the fact Kim was still in the bathroom with Sensai, who'd taken an unnatural interest in helping her condition and detangle her hair. If they didn't emerge from the bathroom soon I was going to rush back and tear the door down. _How fucking long did it take to detangle hair? I could've detangled her hair just as well as Sensai!_

I heard Kim's giggle as she rounded the corner, coming into the kitchen to join us. She looked abso-fucking-lutely breathtaking with her skin all flushed and glowing, freshly scrubbed and still damp from her shower. Her wet, _detangled_ hair clung to her neck and shoulders and soaked the neckline of her light grey tank top. I instantly forgot all about Kim's zany relatives' antics, dismissed the taunting visions of Sensai combing through Kim's lustrous wet mane. Kim was wearing some kind of formfitting white yoga pants that were thoroughly indecent. If I could restrain myself from impaling her immediately on the kitchen table I knew I had a decent shot at making it to at least the living room with her before I had those white second skin pants down around her ankles and her ass bent over the side of the couch.

Kim's wide, excited grin did nothing to quell my rampant desire as she glided happily up to me, coming to nestle against my shoulder in a sweet embrace that was altogether too quick and way too fucking chaste as Aunt Susie '_awe_'d and cooed over how cute we were, causing Kim to blush furiously and pull away.

Uncle Todd was just telling Susie to behave herself as a still shirtless Sensai sauntered into the small space, announcing, "Who's up for _Tetris_ Battle Mode?"

"Ooh, me me!" Kim gushed enthusiastically, bouncing up and down in place.

_What the hell?_

"Paul, can you believe it? Sensai has old school _Super Nintendo Tetris & Dr Mario_! You know, with Battle Mode?" Kim squealed excitedly, as if she was imparting some outrageously important, fantastic news… _like all the vampires of the world had just been reported as dead._ "And he brought it along for the trip! You wanna play it with us?"

Fuck me it was becoming clear there would be no sneaking off with Kim before dinnertime to alleviate the tension in my balls I'd been suffering ever since we were rudely interrupted in the forest by Bennett's poor timing. I was quietly resigning myself to the fact I likely wasn't getting laid now until after dark when Sensai's next statement hit me like a splash of ice water to the groin.

"Hey, Paulie, if it's cool with you, man, I'm claiming the top bunk in our room, 'kay?"

Just when things couldn't seem to get any worse, apparently I was 'bunking' with Sensai for the night.

**88888888**

* * *

><p>I didn't remember getting out of bed, or stripping off my clothes, or opening my bedroom's window. I only recalled having heard a girl screaming in my dream, in which I'd still been playing <em>Tetris, and I vaguely realized that must've been what'd awakened me as I came to in the passenger seat perspective of my own body right as it jumped buck-naked from the second story window of the cabin, phasing mid-air and landing solidly on all fours on the cool forest floor.<em>

I was still barely awake as the familiarly awful stench of stripper perfume assaulted my sensitive olfactory, burning my airways as my wolf bounded forward and my horrified sleepy eyes registered in the distance what appeared to be a group of… _five_ vampires?

_Holy shit!_ We were headed straight for them. Wrong Kimmie was going to take on five vampires all at once?

"_Seven_," she thought back at me.

_What?_

"_Two are missing," _she thought impassively_. "We have to strike fast."_

_Huh?_

"_Stay down and stay out of my way," _she ordered curtly_. _

"_What? NO! We have to go back!" _I screamed. It felt so surreal, like I was still sleeping. I fervently prayed I really was, prayed I was only having a nightmare_. This couldn't be happening! Shit, this was the absolute worst sort of way to wake up! _

I remembered how I'd felt so confident and self-assured facing down the Rastafarian vamp ready to attack Bella_. _With the wrong Kimmie and my she-wolf at the helm I'd held no fear that we wouldn't be able to defeat him. But this was different_. _Because this time it wasn't one vampire, it was _five_…possibly _**seven**_ if wrong Kimmie's count was to be believed. And this time I didn't have six other shifters scattered in the wood nearby at the ready to guard my tail and assist me should my vampire slaying ability fall tragically short_._ This time I _had_ to shake her dominance off… _had _to fight through the wall of wrong Kimmie's insane, irrational fearlessness closing over me.

_This time we were all alone_. And as we neared the band of vampires, the stench becoming so strong I thought I might gag and retch, the situation unfolding was looking exactly like a suicide mission.

"_We have to get Paul and Sensai! We don't stand a chance by ourselves!"_

A rancorous feral snarl rolled through my canine form. I felt the vibration of it from the top of my scalp to the tips of my hind paws as my crazy homicidal… _err…vampicidal _other self barreled forward even faster, throwing me further back into the recess of my own existence until I felt I would be completely smothered; my thoughts, desires and life energy all but snuffed out, eclipsed entirely by the overpowering will of the wrong she-wolf.

_No._

It was my final feeble, coherent thought projection as without warning, once we'd reached a distance of about 30 feet from our target, my wolf body suddenly flew like a freakish streak of lightning through the remaining space, faster than I could even feel or see our own body's movement. _It was as if we'd just teletransported through the distance. _

I managed to take in a flash of blood red eyes, absorb the sound of growls mixed with shrill, horrible shrieks like nails on chalkboard as sparkly marble flesh was shredded to pieces beneath the paws connected to the wolf body in which I was now reduced to being a passive spectator. Chunks of dismembered abomination crunched beneath the powerful jaws that were mine, _yet not mine_.

The glowing white stains of inhumanity moved so quickly they were nothing but vivid blurs of activity all around me, their movement too fast for even my supernatural wolf eyes to capture. And yet I was capturing their marble non-flesh piece by piece, tearing through their disembodied soullessness one by one with my _Ginsu_ knife claws.

With incredulity I recognized it was with our ears the wrong she-wolf managed to "see" their movements before they made them, with our nose that we were capable of "hearing" their next intended course of direction before their marble muscles even flexed to reaction. It was a sensing beyond even the _normal_ supernatural senses.

_And still there was more to it than that_. Something so primal yet indefinably esoteric in nature to our intrinsic ability to simply detect their demoniacal vibration and obliterate it with our own. It was visceral poetry, a myriad of colliding realms of existence from non-existence. It was so much bigger than six seemingly individual beings sparring for their unnatural lives in a dark forest.

Beyond a dance of survival for those who had already outlasted their allotted survival time, larger than a sparkling battlefield of miscreation where miscreants who had already cheated destiny once must not be allowed to endure. It was with sickening, foreboding horror I realized these bloodsuckers and their malevolent non-life force encircling me had nothing to die for, and absolutely everything to continue to not live for.

It wasn't as if I hadn't known this truth before. But the breadth that existed between knowing and feeling created a world of difference in perspective. _How could any of us with even a morsel of humanity compete against such odds? _There was not one among our band of young shape-shifters who could hope to comprehend the twisted vibration of abject desperation I now glimpsed pulsing through the un-beating hearts of these undead_. _

_We were so royally fucked. We were all surely going to die! _

"_**Holy hell, SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY!**__" _wrong Kimmie broke through my incessant, panicked inner soliloquy. "_Goddamnit _you're annoying! There are barely two left you fucking spaz!"

_Oh, my god, she was right!_ There were ribbons of shredded vampire confetti flying through the air, shimmering and twinkling as they caught beams of moonlight. But how? We couldn't have?

The final two circling us looked bigger and fiercer than the others somehow—_although one was already missing both of his arms, I noted_. How had we even managed to take down the three we already had?

In my rising panic I fought desperately against wrong Kimmie's dominance, struggling to regain some measure of control over my own physical being sparring in a battle to the death in the moonlight.

"_**NO!**_" she screamed at me. "_**STOP IT!**_"

I realized instantly and yet all too late that it'd been the absolute wrong move to make as my attempt to push wrong Kimmie aside threw off her graceful, lightning fast movements, making our wolf stumble and falter in her steps. The last thing I remembered was taking a hit from an ice cold blur of white to my left side that sent me flying through the air, my head colliding sharply into the heavy trunk of a tree just before my whole world went black.

**88888888**

* * *

><p>My heart lodged in my throat, I wasn't sure how I was even breathing, let alone sprinting faster than I had ever moved before in my life. I'd jumped from my window and phased just in time to see Kim's white and black wolf in the distance, fighting not just one, but <em>several <em>vampires amid a growing, swirling cloud of their sparkly, dismembered dead body pieces. As my bewildered mind raced to catch up with my wolf body shooting through the forest, struggling to grasp what the hell was happening, screaming, "_How? Why? No!" _everything happened so damn fast.

One second she seemed to be easily winning the insane suicide battle against multiple undead, and in the next she was flying through the air and into a tree, her skull slamming into the bark with a deathly, resounding crack I knew would haunt my memory for the rest of what was now likely to be my very short life.

_I would never reach her in time! _

It was the most horribly desperate, sickening feeling I'd ever known as that cold realization punched me squarely in the gut. I would've gladly given anything in that moment for it to be my skull and not Kim's smashing into the tree.

_But then a miracle happened_. After the impact with the tree, her wolf simply dropped to the ground, appearing to be completely steady on all fours, as if she'd never even hit her head! A second later she leapt backwards and rebounded off the same tree, flying straight towards the offending vampire with jaws wide open, and took his head off.

What occurred next had me questioning my eyesight as well as my sanity as Kim's wolf moved even faster and more gracefully than she even had in the moments just prior to the blow to her head, leaping and leveraging herself against surrounding trees, viciously attacking and obliterating the two vampires' marble bodies in a matter of seconds.

I was elated as I knew a sense of relief for which there could be no measure. I thought my wolf might weep with gratitude as I arrived on the sparkling battlefield to see Kim's wolf methodically shredding vamp body parts into smaller pieces. I saw that she had saved the heads for last as she'd lined them up, cleverly giving the vampires a front row seat to their own demise.

_Wait!_ There were five heads total. _**FIVE?**_ _**There had been fucking five of them?**_

Elation and relief transformed into immutable fury as awareness dawned of just what a selfish, stupid, irresponsible action Kim had taken. I became even more incensed as I realized I couldn't even communicate with her through the mind link in wolf form. I quickly shifted human, only to realize to my even greater annoyance that I had no shorts tied to my leg and therefore no lighter with which to burn the tiny vampire shreds that were beginning to reassemble.

"Fuck _fuck __**FUCK**__!_" I unleashed with a fury at her canine form, stalking naked across the forest ground littered with sparkly bits of our enemies. _Damn._ _How did she shred them so freakishly tiny so fast? _

"**WHAT IN FUCK WERE YOU THINKING?**" I bellowed.

Her glowing blue eyes regarded me curiously.

"_**HUH**__?"_ I demanded of her furry features. "Christ, Kim! Coming out here all by yourself? You got some fucking death wish? What in the fuck were you thinking taking on five vampires like that?"

I could have sworn her muzzle tilted impertinently to the side. _Was she fucking mocking me?_ I would chain her up inside the house right after I burned these vampire pieces.

"Don't you _**EVER **_do that again!" I roared. "Do you hear me? **NEVER FUCKING AGAIN!**" It took me a minute in my enraged state to realize I was pacing in aimless circles as I sputtered curse words like a deranged man, attempting to regain control of my wits, trying to decide whether to send Kim back for a lighter or run back myself. Did she even know how to phase back? And where the hell was goddamn Sensai?

"Fuck, I need to burn this stinking shit," I grumbled. "Go back to the house and howl for Sensai, tell him through your mind connection to get his fucking pretty boy ass out here and to grab a lighter or some matches on his way."

Rather than jumping to do my bidding Kim's wolf had the nerve to lazily rake a small pile of leaf litter together with her paws, then sit insolently back on her hind legs. I was about to lose it completely when a second later she lifted her forelegs off the ground and grated her long sharp claws together so fast her paws lit up with the sparks created. I felt like a world-class moron as I watched her wolf nonchalantly light the leaves and twigs with the sparks she generated until the little pile was smoldering to life.

The dumbfounded expression was likely still etched on my face when she shifted easily back into human form and in all her hot naked glory, bent forward on all fours. She proceeded to blow gently, her breath fueling the rising flames into a healthy, glowing fire while she looked coquettishly up at me through long, dark lashes. The organ between my legs rose swiftly in salute to her ingenuity_- and her firm ass arched high in the air_- even as the Alpha in me felt instantly neutered.

"We're shape-shifters genetically engineered to be _vampire slayers_, Paul," she emphasized, her voice sounding slightly lower, more sultry than its usual timbre. "We can dismantle a cold one in moments with our bare paws but need to carry around lighters in shorts tied to our hind legs in order to finish the job?" She raised a brow and tsked softly up at me through pouty lips, just in case she'd missed a millimeter of my penis when castrating me the first time.

_That was it. _My wolf's hackles were up. Where the fuck did she get off acting this way after scaring the piss out of me like she just had? My animal and I were done humoring this nonsense of our mate being in another Alpha's pack! Of chasing meekly after her when she persisted to blindly traipse off directly into harm's way, refusing to heed our commands and risking her life in the process.

"You know what? You got a lot of fucking nerve-"

"Sensai, gather and burn the pieces with me," she commanded curtly, cutting me off mid-sentence.

I whipped my head around to see Sensai's grey and white wolf swiftly approaching. When I turned back Kim had phased again and her wolf was busy collecting pieces in her jaw and tossing them into the growing vampire bonfire. My irritation only increased as I watched Sensai and Kim's wolves work harmoniously to burn every last vampire fragment in record time, their movements appearing virtually synchronized, much too intimate to my jealous eye. I was reminded of the bitter fact he got to share a mind link with her, _my_ mate, and I didn't.

_Not for much longer_, I promised myself.

Adding insult to injury, their wolves began snuffling simultaneously, as if they were sharing a private joke through their intimate mind connection. _I would kill that pretty boy actor_.

Kim shifted to human form once again with ease, as if she'd been doing it her whole damn life when only hours earlier at dinner we'd been discussing with Todd, Susie and Sensai how she hadn't yet learned to phase back and forth. My mouth fell agape as she proceeded to issue orders to Sensai like some military General, instructing him to go back and stand guard over the cabin.

_What the fuck was going on here? _ Kim was acting totally unconcerned with the fact Sensai was sitting there in wolf form seeing her completely stark naked, walking around with her hips casually swaying seductively in the moonlight like it was the most common, natural thing in the world. The same self-conscious girl who'd insisted on wearing my ridiculously too large shorts up to her ribs for half of the afternoon in the woods yesterday when it had been just the fucking two of us!

With supernatural reflexes I jumped in front of her, shielding her body from Sensai's canine view as I shouted obscenities at him, demanding he quit staring at my girlfriend's tits and get the fuck out of my sight before I dismembered and added him to the vampire pyre.

"What's your problem, Paul?" Kim had the poor judgement to admonish from behind me. "I'm the one who's naked. Why're you yelling at him?"

"Well then fucking put some clothes on or step behind a goddamn tree!" I craned my neck to shout over my shoulder at Kim; then turned to Sensai and roared, "**I said get out of here!**_"_ To my great satisfaction he was scampering off not a second later. I turned around to find Kim glaring at me.

"You don't own me, Paul," she hissed.

"Well the mark on your ass cheek says otherwise, sweetheart." I stepped up to crowd her space, reminding her of my height and size advantage. I'd been frantic with fear less than five minutes ago watching her foolishly attack a circle of vampires single-handedly. I was fucking pissed and in no mood to take anymore of her shit. _What the fuck had gotten into her that she was acting this way?_ But she didn't back down. Didn't show even a hint of being intimidated. It made me want to throttle her. And it was then I realized I wasn't dealing with _my_ Kim. _It had to be the wrong Kim_.

I frowned. "Where's Kim?"

She cocked her head to the side and questioned coyly, "Which one?"

It was then I noticed the dark blood matted to the side of her head. It felt as if my stomach dropped out of me. "Fuck, baby, your head!" I reached out to inspect her injury but my hand was swatted away faster than I could blink.

"Who are you, my fucking mother?" she spat mockingly.

I was too shocked from the emotional blow to give attention to the physical sting burning up my hand. I felt like I'd been sucker-punched in the gut. _Fuck_.

"Touché." I breathed the word softly without really thinking. But she still heard it. And she smirked in some sort of twisted triumph.

"Indeed." She pivoted on her heel and continued to canvass the area one final time for vampire remains. Then she turned back to me where I still stood dumbstruck and started spouting instructions at me in her General tone just like she had Sensai.

"I need you to patrol as far out as two miles around the northern perimeter of the cabin. Stay phased the rest of the night on guard and try to reach Quil, Jared and Jacob. They need to keep extra close watch on Alison in the next 24 hours. Her life could depend upon it."

"I'm not some peon omega for you to order around, Kim."

She snorted. "'Course not, omegas have to be hardworking and resourceful to survive in a pack. You're just a big lazy Alpha-by-default, motivated by blind ego, fueled by unparalleled arrogance. **Fuck's sake, just do it, Paul!**" she shouted.

I'd pounced on her and was holding her roughly by her upper arms before I even realized I'd moved. I knew my eyes had already shifted and I felt my entire body trembling with the urge to phase and dominate her physically.

"I don't take orders from you," I snarled between clenched teeth.

"Wanna bet?" she challenged, cocking one brow. "Take your paws off of me if you want to keep them," she threatened in a low, steady voice.

I was close to my breaking point. I wanted to shake her. To tackle her to the ground and make her submit, lower her head and bare her neck to me. I felt my animal within struggling to surface, desperate to make her heel. _She was ours!_ We had every right to touch her…to protect her. We would clamp our jaws around her neck and bring her to the ground until she admitted we were her Alpha and became part of our pack. We were completely justified in overpowering her if only for her own safety, my wolf rationalized, which she'd clearly demonstrated she was entirely irresponsible for herself. But I restrained him.

Breathing deeply, I released her arms and chose another tactic entirely. I took a step back from her. "I'm sorry." I bit the words out.

Her brow furrowed ever so slightly at my apology, enough to reveal she hadn't been expecting it. Enough for me to know I'd thrown her off and now had her attention.

"I'm sorry I compared you to my mother before," I continued. "I never meant it. I was just… angry… about Jared."

She shrugged dismissively, completely scorning my apology. "Yeah, _whatever_… pretty sure you've said that before."

_Fuck, I should just tackle and bite her wolf into submission! _I took another deep inhale. She was grimacing at me like I was something distasteful in her mouth, scanning my features with this knowing, supercilious air like I was mentally challenged or unstable, altogether beneath her.

"You're… you're nothing like my mother," I tried again, hoping I was projecting enough sincerity into those words, praying they would be enough to replace the previous words I'd spoken in anger that day in the forest which I knew had hurt her. _In the moment I'd definitely meant them to hurt her_. And she was obviously still resentful of me for it.

"Just like… I'm nothing like your mother," I pointed out softly, pausing as her eyes narrowed. It might've been foolish to try and appeal to her this way, but I knew from Lil' Kim's mind that she drew parallels between the domineering aspects of my behavior and that of her mother's. Perhaps the other Kim's did as well. "I know sometimes I've said and done things that hurt you, but it's not what I mean… was never my intention… to be like that."

Her slight scowl seemed to deepen_. Fuck, this was awkward_. The 'wrong' Kim had rattled my confidence. She just stood there… appearing annoyed and slightly bored, looking for all the world like she knew beyond doubt that she was smarter, stronger, just _better_ than me… flat out refusing to give deference or to be the least bit intimidated by me or my wolf.

I swallowed nervously. "I'm not malicious, Kim. You have to believe I've always had your best interest at heart."

She snorted after a beat. "_Wow…_" her eyes widened. She shook her head. "That was just… _awful_…nearly pathetic. That was supposed to be some sort of apology?" Her features clearly displayed her rejection. "Don't flatter yourself," she drawled, "you're not capable of hurting me, _Alpha_." She stated my ranking like it was an insult.

_Fuck this shit_. My wolf's desired tactic of biting her into submission was sounding more and more appealing. She was being a royal fucking bitch… nothing like _my _Kim.

"What happened to Kim?" I demanded.

"She hit her head." Her eyes raked me up and down like I was a moron for asking her to restate the obvious. "She was knocked unconscious."

"Then why're _you_ conscious?" I argued.

"Because _I _didn't hit my head, Einstein."

"That doesn't make sense," I grumbled. "It's the same head."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, my brain's synapses didn't register the impact with the tree the same way hers did."

"How does that matter?"

"Matters quite a bit in fact," she had the audacity to laugh shrilly right in my face. "The other Kim could be asleep while I'm awake, drunk off her ass while I'm still sober. I don't have to experience what she does. It's kinda the whole fucking point!" she sassed. "The entire reason behind separating."

"That's impossible," I persisted to debate. "Alcohol enters your bloodstream and alters your brain function regardless of choice."

"Not if I don't acknowledge drinking it," she insisted stubbornly. "Since when are you so literal, Paul?"

"You're _one person_," I growled. "If she drinks, you drink."

She shrugged. "If you say so. You're the all wise Alpha that's been carrying around a BIC lighter in his cargo shorts."

"It's a fucking chemical compound!" I groused angrily. "Which causes a chemical reaction in your system regardless of whether you acknowledge imbibing or not."

"Listen, I'm sure you're right, Paul," she patronized. "What would I know? I'm likely failing Chemistry this year. Although I think it has more to do with my lab partner fingering me to distraction during class than my inability to grasp the material."

"Look," I seethed, ready to clobber her, "I don't know what your story is that you feel like you've gotta be such a stone cold bitch all the time, but you're not the Kim I fell in love with anyway so I don't really give a fuck what you think of me."

"_Awe!_" she pouted her lips, apparently determined to keep fucking ridiculing me. I was beginning to hate her for it.

"You _sure_ I'm not the Kim you fell in love with?" she contested. "You really think either of the other Kim's would've told you how _lucky_ you were that first day of school outside at the picnic tables?"

My heart missed a beat. _No_. It wasn't _her_. It was the other Kim…the _real_ Kim… _my_ Kim. But my Kim hadn't seemed to even remember our initial encounter when I'd brought it up the first time I'd spent the night with her. The same night she'd become my girlfriend. She'd seemed genuinely confused and horrified at learning she'd told me I was 'lucky' in response to hearing my mom had abandoned me.

The Kim standing in front of me looked triumphant, her arms folded across her naked chest, the slightest smirk curving her always perfect, kissable lips that were now taunting me as well. "Shall I describe what you were wearing? Remind you how you dribbled ketchup on your UDUB Tacoma sweatshirt? Was it because of me I wonder? Did I make you nervous even then like I'm making you now?"

I was speechless. I could only stare at her like an idiot. She'd taken my man card and now she was shredding it to pieces in front of my face.

"Maybe I'm not the Kim you fell in love with. But I do believe I was the Kim you first noticed. And I know for certain _I _was the Kim who first noticed _you_."

I just stared, somehow incapable of anything else.

Her eyes flew heavenward. Once again, she looked bored…or maybe…_disappointed_? "Well, this has been fun," she announced sarcastically under her breath before turning and striding back in the direction of the cabin.

I was still struggling to think up some brilliant retort when a gut-wrenching scream cut through the jumbled thoughts in my mind. The scream was female. It sounded like a young girl.

"What…was…that?" I mumbled aloud. Kim stopped walking, turned around and looked at me curiously.

It was similar to the scream I'd thought I'd heard in my dream earlier, the one that'd woken me up, drawing me out into the forest in search of Kim. As before, I definitely hadn't heard it from _outside_ of my head. I was forced to acknowledge the screams had in fact sounded like Lil' Kim… _inside_ my head, the way I could hear her through the mind link when I was phased. Only I wasn't phased, and the wrong Kim was clearly standing before me, also in human form. It made no sense.

She was watching me, an oddly hopeful look in her eyes. I was so confused. "Was that… was that Lil' Kimmie screaming?" I asked hesitantly.

Her eyes lit up. "You caught little Kim's reverb?" she breathed. She seemed genuinely interested…excited even.

It was the first time throughout our little interaction so far that she was regarding me with anything remotely friendlier than pure scorn and disgust. I felt suddenly desperate to impress her somehow amidst this new development. So I wanted to smack myself when the next word out of my mouth was, "_Huh?_"

"As in _reverberation_," she clarified, tipping her head back and stepping closer, searching my features for some sign of my understanding. I knew she found none. So I was relieved she didn't instantly give up on me and instead proceeded to explain.

"I've always thought of it like sound reverberation," she confided quietly. "You know, like how sound waves continue to bounce and echo through space long after the source of the sound has stopped?"

I felt my brows knit together. _Fuck me I knew I should've taken band class_. I didn't know shit about music.

"It's the replications of the initial sound we hear persisting, decreasing in amplitude and eventually fading as they disperse and are absorbed into the surrounding atmosphere." Again she studied my face for some recognition I was incapable of. I felt every bit the _Easy Reader_ simpleton I'd always known she'd eventually find me to be.

"At a concert, for example," she continued patiently, "reverberation time and scale would depend upon the acoustic properties of the space. For instance…" my heart wanted to skip when she took another step closer, her body language becoming more relaxed, less confrontational and guarded, "if there are walls, it depends upon how much sound they absorb versus how much they reflect back into the room. And just as walls can absorb and reflect sound to impact reverb, so can objects."

I wasn't sure I understood anything she was saying to me, but I was entranced by her smooth, calm voice, captivated by the way her eyes canvassed me. She suddenly seemed so peaceful, serene, like some naked, glowing angel of the moonlight rather than the hellion I'd been tempted to bite into submission mere minutes ago.

"Individual ability…" she paused, a slight crease forming between her brows, "our own unique raw physical capacity for hearing sound, varies greatly… wouldn't you agree?"

The way she'd said the words 'raw' and 'physical' spoke straight to my cock, momentarily distracting me. I nodded in agreement, hoping it was the correct response.

"And we both know better than most that animals hear sounds human ears can't discern. I mean, right after you phased the first time, didn't it take a while to get used to your heightened auditory capability and all the additional noises constantly bombarding your senses that the non-shape-shifters around you couldn't catch?"

I nodded obligingly again. She was standing so close now. Her uniquely delectable smell called to me. The melodic, soft cadence of her voice enthralled me. I itched to reach out and touch her but held myself back; terrified it might break the spell of her improved, enchanting mood I was joyously basking in.

"But you _did_ get used to it," she pointed out. "And now it's just commonplace. It's normal to be able to hear a fly's wings beating from across a room. It's all just part of ordinary, ongoing background static for you now."

I nodded robotically in accord yet again, wanting her to keep talking forever, yet at the same time impatient for her to just get to the point and stop speaking so I could kiss her. _Fuck, I'd never wanted her so badly_.

"Kimmie's mom used to hear strange things… things that others couldn't," she suddenly imparted guilelessly. The unexpected revelation was just the right amount of crazy to capture my full attention and sidetrack me from what had become my single-minded thoughts of ravishing the wrong Kimmie on the forest floor, _but not quite enough to make my penis soft. _

"She heard reflection of energy; picked up reverberation of thoughts and intentions, projections of possible events to come." Kim's head swiveled abruptly and her attention became diverted, momentarily fixated on something in the distance over my shoulder in the dark forest. I listened intently to the sounds of the forest behind me, but didn't pick up on anything out of the ordinary that might've caused her distraction.

Her eyes became trained on the ground as she continued. "Kimmie's mom never quite mastered the ability to relegate the reverberation she picked up to simply background static though. And I don't believe she ever had the ability to hear the actual source either, knowing only the resulting secondhand reverb." She rolled one beautiful bare shoulder. "I suspect the latter is fairly standard for most who possess similar proclivity."

The Kim standing before me looked uncharacteristically world-weary and jaded when her eyes lifted and reclaimed mine. "Unfortunately, I don't think many who hear reverb actually get that very salient point, though. The problem with catching reverb is…well, the quality of the 'catcher' determines everything."

She shook her head, her eyes darkening, "Unlike literal sound reverberation, this sort of reverb is usually never an exact replication of source. It's altered depending on who or what has absorbed and reflected the message back out. And without knowledge of the original source, there can be no way of accurately verifying the validity of information imparted."

I was so mesmerized by the subtle emotions playing over her facial features I practically jumped in surprise when I felt her touch me, her fingers reaching out to lightly trace the mark the other Kim had made over my heart. I was surprised to register her fingertips felt unusually cold against my skin.

"It's like kids playing the game of telephone. By the time the last one in line hears the message, it can be so distorted the original meaning and intention is completely lost." She smiled ruefully. "Just like little Kimmie's scream. Her mind is so cluttered and consumed by fears, any distress call she picks up on energetically floating through the universe is going to simply horrify her to the point that the entire message is then reduced to nothing more than the reverberation of a child's primal scream of terror."

I knew it was the wrong sort of moment, given the seriousness of the topic of conversation at hand, but I couldn't help but wonder whether she'd yet noticed my monster wood rising swiftly to attention in the space between our naked bodies.

"Practically all of the original value of the message has then been lost, as the next willing recipient to hear Kimmie's reverb will only register her terror, and perhaps be just lucky enough to realize it's a warning scream, accurately discerning that some truly horrendous imminent danger is on the approach."

Her cool fingertips trailed idly down my abdominal muscles. There was no hiding my blatant erection now as it staunchly lifted in silent greeting towards her southbound wandering hand. I felt her other hand wrap around my waist to rest at the small of my back. _Oh, god_… _I seriously fucking wanted her_.

"I believe every creature has the innate ability to hear reverb. But just hearing echoes bouncing through space is altogether meaningless unless you have ability to translate, to decode the embedded original message."

With unprecedented delight I felt both of Kim's arms gently wrapping loosely around my midsection. And then my straining organ was pressing joyously against her belly as her body slowly, blissfully melted into mine. I was in heaven as she continued to paint her poetic illustration of a concept I was still barely grasping.

"The art of hearing reverb lies in actually _**catching **_it, _absorbing _it… knowing how to strip away the layers of reactionary thought and emotion that have attached to it along its passage to you until you find the initial, core thread of sound…the underlying message in the music. Then, it can be useful."

Kim's arms tightened measurably about my waist. Her heartbeat sped up a notch. But her expression and demeanor remained otherwise calm as she explained, "Then Kimmie's reverb scream won't simply herald some random form of imminent danger to you."

I watched completely captivated by her as her brown eyes swirled hazel, then glowed a wolfish, light blue, as she whispered, "You'll know it takes the form of the two vampires approaching us now from the northeast."

My hapless brain had scarcely registered the meaning of her words when I was thrown to the side, literally hurled a good 15 feet away across the forest floor by my own mate! She shifted a second later and was ripping apart two vampires before I'd even gotten my bearings.

_Holy Spirit Warriors she was fast!_ And fuck was she strong. There was zero hesitation or uncertainty to her movements as with a measure of horror mixed with awe I watched her take two huge male vampires apart in moments. I'd never witnessed any of my male pack mates move like she did. No doubt they likely couldn't.

Worse still, realization struck me that_ I couldn't. _

I was furious. I was thrilled. I was devastated.

I felt such pride that my girl was so fuck hot amazing. Such hurt and rejection that she'd cast me to the side to safety just before the skirmish… as if I couldn't fight alongside her… as if I wasn't strong enough; good enough. She didn't trust me to protect her. Her actions clearly shouted that she didn't need me, didn't want me. She was already busy now burning the vampire remains in a little fire she'd created… _without_ the use of a lighter.

Fuck me... _I was jealous! _

I was jealous of my own mate? Of little Kimberly Callaway! Of the mousy, introspective, elusive and mysterious girl I'd strangely lusted after most of my life?

She shifted easily back into her goddess of the moonlight form and gifted me with a sexy, self-satisfied smirk. "Hesitation can get you killed out in the wild, baby," she purred, throwing my own words back at me for the second time.

I rose to my feet, livid with a rage I hadn't felt in years, and spat, "You'll _never_ be Alpha, Kim!" Even as I said the words I knew how childish they sounded, how insecure my actions made me look, but my wolf demanded it. The man in me demanded it too. _Or was it the boy?_

Her eyes darkened with an anger that rivaled mine. "You think I don't know that?" she hissed.

I swallowed, managed an awkward nod and mumbled, "Good," hoping that would settle it. _It didn't._

She looked at me with such contempt my heart physically ached. "But know this," she rasped, "it was always _my right_ to be the Alpha, Paul. It was supposed to be **me**!"

I frowned and huffed dismissively. "What? You don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes I do. I'm faster and stronger than you'll ever be in battle and we both know it," she lashed at me. "And let's not forget, that _I_ imprinted on _you_, Paul."

"So what?" I countered. "If anything that fact gives me even more control and rights as Alpha. I'm not hamstrung by having to put an imprint's needs before those of my pack."

She grunted. "And how's that working out for you, Paul? Why're you here with me then and not with your pack?"

I didn't have any good comeback for that. _Damnit, I just wanted to tackle her and fuck her senseless when she acted like this._ With that thought in mind, I took several bold steps closer to her.

"You're drawn to me because deep down you know I'm your Alpha," she assessed confidently. "And you're here because you know I need your help. It's why I made sure little Kimmie remained in your pack."

My feet stopped moving. I waited for her to continue.

"As a little girl, we inherited Kim's mom's ability to catch reverb, Paul. But unlike her, _I_ eventually figured out a way to block it, to make it background static so that it wouldn't drive us to insanity. And I also know better than she ever did how to retrace reverb back to the original source of sound so that it can become something useful rather than just a fucking curse."

I so badly wanted to demand why the fuck she kept referring to her mom as _Kim's_ mom. That habit of hers had been chafing my nerves the entire time I'd had to listen to her droning on and on while my engorged cock had pulsed and twitched from want and neglect. Instead I kept silent as without warning her face contorted, her features twisting with a pain and regret I thought might break my heart to look upon.

"But my abilities are limited," she admitted softly. "There was a price that came with becoming what I am." She looked like she was about to say more then thought better of it. "It doesn't matter though. The point you need to remember is I can only sustain control for so long. And usually I've got Kim as a co-pilot. I'm only able to maintain full control now while Kim is unconscious. I'm less useful as a fighter when I have the other Kim's emotions and intentions bleeding into and influencing mine. And I'll always have limited control over the other Kim's… especially little Kimmie. She's our greatest liability, Paul. You can never forget that!"

"She's not a liability!" I blustered defensively.

"Oh, but she is, Paul," she insisted, her eyes flashing as a low rumble of embittered laughter resounded in her throat. "She's the Achilles' heel of the entire pack now. Her fear alone might get us all killed."

I shook my head in denial. "You're wrong."

She sighed. "Knowing half truths tainted by emotional reactions of the lesser vessels reflecting and bouncing reverb through space can only lead to forming flawed suppositions of future events."

Shit. _What in fuck had she just said to me?_ I was so sick of these goddamn science fiction riddles she kept spouting. It had been so much easier to engage with Lil' Kim.

"In fucking English, please!" I complained, crossing my arms over my chest. "I missed that episode of _Dr. Who_."

"Paul, it's a liability more than a gift when you assume to know what you logically cannot! Premonitions are _always_ flawed, because the ever constant in the universe is _change_. The future changes constantly. In every millisecond it's ability to shift and alter from the premonition of a moment ago is activated. It's only when we decide we think we know exactly what's coming next that we enslave ourselves to those notions and block pathways to other possibilities." She finished off her diatribe with a grand eye-roll; letting me know just what a moron she took me for.

_Fuck her_ _and her fucking theories and non-stop philosophizing on some sort of time space continuum bullshit_. I just wanted _my_ Kim back already!

"Don't you see? Knowing fragments of a future possibility is the worst kind of curse for someone incapable of understanding it, of handling the burden that comes with it. Kimmie's fuck-up of a mother is textbook example of that," she proclaimed. "And dumbass little Kimmie doesn't know any better!"

"She's not dumb!" I protested inanely, still struggling to follow her line of reasoning.

"Paul, whatever her idiot mother told her, whatever little Kimmie _thinks_ she knows, absolutely terrifies her! That kind of fear has great potential to take my wolf down. And if _my _ass goes down on the battlefield," she slapped her naked rear cheek that bore my mark, "_you're_ going down." She jabbed her pointer finger into the mark over my heart. "So if you want to live; for the whole pack to survive the battle that's coming, you'd better fucking find out from little Kimmie, or from Todd or Susie just what the goddamned note said!" she shrieked, sounding on the verge of hysteria.

"What? What note?" I gasped, shocked to suddenly feel a strange tightness in my chest. It felt like I was actually struggling for air.

"The motherfucking suicide note!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "That crazy woman said something important in that note, some ultimate dire prediction that she's cursed all of us with. _**I know**_ that one of us saw it… _**read it**__…_ and it sure as fuck wasn't me! Those two imbeciles conspired to keep it from me, all but buried me alive to keep me from ever knowing what final nonsense that bitch foretold from her half-assed ability at decoding reverb. I've sensed little Kimmie's desperate focus on it. The sheer fucking panic ever present at the back of her mind over the need to prevent me from ever knowing what that note said."

_What?_ "_Who?_ What suicide?"

"Kimmie's mother!" she grunted in frustration.

I frowned, shaking my head in disbelief. "Uh-uh," I argued, "Kim's mom died of a heart attack…err aneurism...or _something_…" I trailed off into silence at the look on her face.

_Fuck_, I realized didn't really know for sure how she'd died, which made it infinitely harder to argue my case. It had always been sort of vague, shrouded in mystery, rarely talked about by the adults on the reservation, and whenever it was it was with hushed words and awkward, secretive glances. _Fuck fuck fuck!_ Why the hell hadn't it occurred to me how strange that was before?

Kimberly was shaking, as if on the verge of phasing. "No. She took her own life, Paul. I don't know exactly how, I only know she did. Little Kimmie must hold a memory of reading the note, of seeing the details of the body when we first found her in the kitchen. I see bits and pieces from both of their memories but what I need to know most is missing."

Her words seemed to settle in the pit of my stomach. I felt like I might be sick. "Kim… doesn't know?" I asked quietly.

She paused, as if considering, before shaking her head in the negative. "I don't think so. At first I thought little Kimmie just hadn't wanted me to know about the suicide itself, because she feared I'd tell the other Kim. Then I thought maybe she feared how angry it'd make me, feared the increased power of rage that knowledge alone might afford me. And she was right, I'm fucking furious that psycho bailed the way she did, and with her classic, overly dramatic, selfish fanfare, leaving her ten-year-old to clean up the remains of her body on the kitchen floor as well as her tattered nightmare of a life." Her shaking had increased. She was starting to look pale. I wanted to remind her to breathe but somehow didn't think this version of my Kim would appreciate the suggestion.

"But that's not all of it. Because even after I put it together, pulling enough from her memory to deduce it'd been suicide, little Kimmie still persists in shielding the words in the damn note from me. Shields them as if her life depends upon it. And that's how I know it's fucking important."

"Why?" I asked stupidly after a long pause. I was such an idiot. I wasn't sure what I was even asking. _How did I expect her to answer that?_ There were a million 'why's' floating through my head I desperately wanted her to answer.

To my surprise, she started giggling, instantly breaking the unbearable weight of desolation and tension that had settled over us both. It reminded me of _my_ Kim.

"Because you're my imprint," she answered impishly with a wink. "And even though you get to have everything that was meant to be mine, I think I still want you to live," she teased, her lips splitting into a genuine grin for the first time.

It was the first true smile I'd ever seen from the wrong Kimmie, and it just about brought me to my knees. It was vaguely familiar and yet unlike any smile I could recall my Kim ever making before. It reminded me of something, but I couldn't place it.

She bit her lip and it made me want to pull her to the ground and devour her. "You know, I was talking about more than your mom abandoning you when I told your fourth-grade self that you were _so lucky_," she emphasized the last words with a dreamy, wistful girlish lilt that stopped my heart.

_It really had been her… the wrong Kimmie that I had fallen in love with. _

As quickly as it had come her smile instantly faded as she absently reached up to rub the area around where she'd injured her head and winced, as if realizing for the first time that she was hurt there. I could have sworn I saw moisture leaking behind her eyes just before they shut, her face scrunching up in pain suddenly as both hands lifted to clutch at her head.

She staggered on her feet and I caught her as she murmured, "_Ow_…_fuuck_… what the hell happened?"

**A/N - Thanks for reading & reviewing! :) **

**And I just want to ask, has it not driven anyone else flippin' crazy that SM created vampire slaying shape-shifters who need to carry around lighters? Is it just me? Have I missed something? What did their ancestors do? Carry around big lanterns between their jaws or giant old school flint sticks? Did one shape-shifter just sit there rubbing two twigs together on the sidelines or banging rocks while the others kept shredding and re-shredding the vamp pieces as they reassembled themselves, waiting for the damn fire to get going? I dunno, that just seems super inconvenient to me. :|**


	29. Chapter 29  Ravished in Bunny Slippers

**A/N – Another chap split in half, folks. Maggie demanded too much sex time. That's right, LEMON alert! I heard FF was cracking down hard again on M-rated fics and then my next chapter update happens to be pretty much all smut. (Well, it's not like I planned it that way!) I know I've been a little mean to my OC Maggie, so this is my Mag's POV chapter I wrote to say, "Sorry for repeatedly bitch-slapping you this fic."**

**Please note WestcoastAngel and I cast the very fine looking Brazilian male model, Marlon Teixeira (currently featured in my WW & profile photos), in the role of Kim's older cousin, Bennett Young. I believe it was mentioned in previous chapters how Mags used to lust after photos of Bennett that Kim would bring back from her summer visits to Cali (I'm all about planting the seeds, folks). I believe I also mentioned to reviewers that there would ultimately be a double imprinting this fic…it just wouldn't be between Kim, Paul & Jared. **

_**What? **_**No, I wouldn't do that to poor Jared**_**, **_**would I? ****Oh, c'mon, if you actually think I **_**wouldn't**_**, you've not been paying attention at all. ;)**

**P.S. Stephie, please note I totally own both these OC bitches, the filthy smut and hymen breaking that ensues. I've borrowed your theories on imprinting and bent the shit out of them. (And incidentally, I wrote most of this chapter sitting in a Mormon temple in Salt Lake City, drinking a latte.) **

_**Disclaimer:**__** I'm part Italian American & have dear friends and relatives in the Northeast who hail from places like Sowphilly and dahnashure. You'll note I've determined this affords me certain liberty to poke fun at accents and cultural stereotypes all I want. **_

My spoon had just scraped bottom on the third pint of _Ben & Jerry's_ _Chunky Monkey _I'd inhaled in the last few hours. The microwave clock glowed a taunting 3:24am, but I was anything but tired; I was bouncing with energy, my heart racing a mile a minute. I told myself it had everything to do with the sugar and caffeine coursing through my system, nothing to do with thinking and worrying about Jared and the pack in Seattle since receiving the phone call over two hours ago now that had awakened the house and sent my parents rushing over to Billy Black's for an emergency council meeting. To prove my point, I'd kept my cell phone face down on the countertop for the last two whole minutes to refrain from constantly checking if my signal was still good. I hadn't answered the few texts I'd received from Jared earlier in the night, and I was trying to block the horrible thoughts assaulting me now of whether I'd ever again get the chance.

That crazy coot Really Old Quil hadn't revealed exactly what had happened when he'd called and told me to send my parents over for an impromptu council meeting, he'd just announced there'd been vampire attacks on the pack, both in Ashland, Oregon, where Kim and Paul were staying with Kim's late mother's brother's family for the night as well as in Seattle, where Jared, Jake, Quil and Alison were. He informed me Kim had sustained a minor head injury but reportedly was otherwise okay. The details had been far sketchier as to how the pack members in Seattle had fared as ROQ cryptically revealed he'd received information about their attack through a "most unlikely but reliable source" rather than directly from any actual member of the pack who was in Seattle. And it was the fact no one had yet heard directly from any of the pack in Seattle to my knowledge that was most unsettling to me. I'd sent Jared at least 20 texts in addition to leaving five voice messages since receiving ROQ's distress call, with no response.

To top off all of the guilt, regret and anxiety I was wallowing in, I'd also never been so sexually frustrated in my entire life. Jared had been putting the moves on _hard _since imprinting on me four days ago. And after steadfastly despising him for so long, it'd been difficult at first to come around to even consider a friendship with him, let alone more. I'd held strong and managed to put him off and deny the imprint bond almost entirely for the first 48 hours. But that rubber band pull was so relentless, and Leah's migraine warnings so dire, finally I'd agreed for imprint's sake to try for friendship with him.

Of course, being the pigheaded, unconscionable player he was, Jared persisted in pressing me for more. _Motherfucker never had been good at hearing no_. Yet even as I knew this I could still feel myself falling for his sly, sexy ways. His disarmingly polite gentleman caller courtship routine where he'd promise all he wanted was to be near me and he would gladly give me all the time and space I needed to figure out what it was _I _wanted, while at the same time gazing at me with those dark, lust-filled eyes, finding excuses to touch me at every opportunity, injecting as much sensuality into every seemingly casual caress until my belly coiled and fluttered to the point of agony.

_It angered me to no end!_ I was determined not to give in to Jared so easily, hell bent on making him sweat it out. Conjuring up the memory of him in his boxers dry humping Kim up against the wall of her living room just ten days prior usually did the trick to douse the flame of my arousal whenever things got too heated for me around him.

I'd felt guilty for years, wondering if I'd done the right thing not telling Kim how he'd expressed affection for me in grade school. Worse yet was the cold hard truth I'd kept from her that I had in fact reciprocated his feelings all those years ago, and to my greatest secret shame, had found myself attracted to him on and off ever since over the years, despite Kim's ongoing infatuation, my attraction mutating into a twisted love-hate of him over time as I watched him whore himself with every cheap slut at Forks High.

As I sorted through my long held feelings of guilt and came around to accepting the fact Kim and Paul were truly the real deal and that she was finally either over or on her way to being over Jared, I thought maybe I could give Jared a try at more than friendship and allowed him to kiss me. But what I'd meant to be a simple first kiss yesterday afternoon after school swiftly turned into a panty soaking make-out session of epic proportion as within minutes he was grinding me into Sandra Cameron's pristine white couch, his hands groping everywhere as he meaningfully thrust his tongue into the depths of my mouth in a manner that was at once too much and not nearly fucking enough.

Clearly he'd somehow thought I was merely playing coy when I'd told him beforehand I needed to take things slowly. So despite my agitated state of arousal and dismissing my embarrassment, I'd confessed to him I was still a virgin, and just wasn't ready. _Well, that did it!_ To my irritation, the knowledge I had a tiny sliver of skin still intact seemed to increase his interest and ardor for me exponentially. _Chauvinist motherfucker! _

How typical something like that would mean so much to a guy like Jared. It made me think he would never really change, the fucking prick. He'd be forever concerned with image and superficial macho bullshit like wanting to be a girl's first and last. Well I wasn't some bimbo that was going to just fall into bed with the first insanely hot, reportedly well-endowed and sexually proficient vampire-slaying shape-shifter to come along professing to be my life mate. _Hell no!_ I was an intelligent, self-sufficient modern woman. I had a vibrator and I knew how to use it. I certainly didn't need a Neanderthal man obsessed with some little piece of skin blocking part of my vaginal canal. I'd decided I was fully capable of taking care of my own needs when he'd left for Seattle. And now as I scraped up the very last of my _Chunky Monkey_, damnit I was so all kinds of crazy horny!

I winced as I realized all my pigging out had also effectively made my tender, abused jaw hurt even worse. The ice cream had been meant to be placed as a soothing pack over the_ outside _of my swollen jaw! Bella Swan had been kind enough to deliver the frozen goodness earlier in the evening when she'd come to check on me after hearing the news of my ill-fated run in with Kim's cousin Alison. Alison being the latest to sock me in the face, just as my black eye from Gabby was beginning to heal, too. Surprising with all of her constant injuries it seemed Bella had never learned the merits of frozen peas…not that I was complaining about her bringing over my longtime friends, _Ben & Jerry_.

It was hard not to dislike Kim's cousin Alison after our disastrous initial encounter. Admittedly it hadn't _entirely_ been Alison's fault she'd jumped to conclusions like a total freak and just laid into me without warning in Leah's kitchen that afternoon. Having only arrived in La Push the previous day, Alison and Leah were busy getting acquainted making Leah's famous explosive blueberry muffins when I'd innocently arrived on the scene holding hands with Jared. Despite his attempted defilement of me on his mom's couch an hour earlier, he'd somehow wormed his way back into my good graces yet again and convinced me to come hang out at Sam's with the gang, the sneaky, smooth talking bastard. As Jared introduced me to Alison, she seemed to connect the dots immediately that I was the same Maggie she knew to be her cousin Kim's best friend since childhood, took note of the fact I was holding hands with Jared, Kim's crush since childhood, and promptly punched me in the jaw. Crazy psycho bitch obviously hadn't gotten the memo about Kim imprinting on Paul, much less about Jared imprinting on me. I couldn't help but still be pissed, even now as I was racked with guilt for also ignoring Alison's numerous apologetic text messages to me earlier in the evening.

_Fuck, I just hoped everyone in Seattle was okay._

Spending most of the evening with Bella, who suffered from Permanent Genital Arousal Disorder, had done little to ease my present sexual frustration, to say the least. The girl could orgasm just from the vibration of a long text message if her cell phone was positioned the right way in her pocket. Naturally, she'd asked me how things were going with Jared. After I'd confessed my virginity and hesitation over the whole weird imprinting situation, not to mention my concerns about Jared and his hymen-loving, caveman-ish tendencies, Bella proceeded to commiserate over what a hassle she thought hymens were in general, saying how glad she was she'd accidentally broken hers back in Arizona in a freak Home Economics class accident. _Taha Aki she was one weird white girl._

And as she proceeded to gush about the unparalleled ecstacies of imprinted sex and the inconvenience of hymens, it made my state of sexual frustration that much worse. Just as I'd been contemplating committing hari-kari with the nearest butter knife, Embry showed up and then he and Bella proceeded to _imprint_-talk to one another until I thought I might use the butter knife to gouge my ears out instead. Imprint talking being like baby talking, only worse. The thought of Jared and I becoming like that made me want to run away to Canada and see how bad those imprint migraines Leah bitched so much about really were.

_Oh, fuck it!_ I was out of ice cream now and couldn't just sit around on my bony ass doing nothing. I reached for the phone and sped dialed Jared's number. Expecting to get his voice mail again for the millionth time, I was so stunned I almost choked on my own tongue when Jared actually picked up, answering gruffly, _"Mags, I can't talk right now!"_

Relief washed over me so forcefully tears sprang to my eyes. _Jared was okay! _ I could hear a great deal of other voices and commotion in the background. It sounded like all hell was breaking loose. I managed to make out a male voice I didn't recognize shouting _"Concentrate, damnit!"_ and then what I thought might be Alison's voice shrieking back, _"How can I concentrate with Tinkerbell vamp up my ass invading my personal space? You're not my type, bitch!" _

What the hell? "Jared, is everyone okay?" I croaked over the lump in my throat. "I've been so worried, Jared! ROQ said there was an attack, what happened?"

He groaned loudly into the receiver_. "There's no time, Maggie! We're all fine, just go back to bed." _

"But Jared!"

"_Fuck, hang on, Maggie!" _he ordered curtly before turning his voice away from the mouth piece and shouting to the arguing group in the background_, "Fucking Christ, could everyone just shut up and __**STOP THINKING**__ so fucking much for ten damn seconds?" _

Stop _thinking_?

"_Maggie, I'm sorry you were worried but I really __**can't talk**__! I've got a dead girl and a hotel room full of motherfucking Cullens, and now I'm hearing everyone's goddamn thoughts inside my head so please, just go back to bed, alright?"_

"Someone's dead! Hearing **what**?" I squawked. "Wait, did you say _**Cullens**_?"

"_**I'll call you tomorrow!" **_he growled and promptly hung up on me_. _

I sat on the kitchen countertop in stunned silence, replaying the bizarre phone call over and over again in my mind as so many different emotions flooded through me. Relief and gratitude gave way to confusion, confusion to frustration, and frustration to anger. How dare he just dismiss me like that after I'd been making myself sick with worry? Did he think he could treat me like I was some child? Order me to go back to bed? Had he even been planning on calling me back tonight after all those messages I'd left him? What if I hadn't called him again? Did he expect me to wait until tomorrow when he had time to call me to give me some goddamn answers? _Fuck that shit!_

I hopped off the counter and grabbed my mom's car keys, uncaring of the fact I was wearing _Bugs Bunny_ pajamas and goofy matching slippers that my senile Granny Jenkins had given me for my last birthday, thinking I was still eight rather than eighteen. I was going to Billy Black's house and I wasn't leaving until I got some fucking answers from those sexist old farts.

As I marched through the foyer and flung the front door open wide, my breath caught as I was greeted with a pair of cold, blood red eyes clearly belonging to the undead. _Oh, crap!_ I'd just opened my door to a vampire! Could my night possibly get any worse? _Did this count as officially inviting him in?_ Fuck, did they even _need_ an invitation… like on _Buffy_?

Despite my certain terror I couldn't help but be surprised and a little disappointed by his appearance. He was pasty colored, looked to be about my age or slightly older and not quite as tall as I'd been expecting…maybe shorter than me, in fact. At nearly 6' I was used to being taller than most guys, but somehow I'd expected a vicious, bloodsucking vampire to be larger than life. He was fairly scrawny too. I imagined him being one of those dorky kids who'd gotten picked on in school prior to becoming demon spawn. But not the cool, smart kind of dork, the mean-spirited sort who would've picked on smaller kids himself. He smiled evilly at me, baring razor sharp fangs. In my agitated state I actually almost rolled my eyes. I was wound up tighter than Sandra Cameron's jazzercised ass and in no mood to humor some geeky vampire's clichéd horror movie antics.

But before I could even mutter a "fuck off" he'd leapt through the open doorway and landed in the foyer, his solid if scraggy body mere inches from mine. _Yep, I was definitely taller_. And it appeared he already had whatever vampire green light he needed to enter my house and kill me. _Super… just super!_

He inhaled audibly and did a bad imitation of Anthony Hopkins' _Hannibal Lecter_ licking his chops before surprising me further by announcing in what had to be one of the most gratingly awful accents I'd ever heard, "Will donjew smill gud ovah deh."

Wait…_what the hell had he just said to me?_ What **was** that accent? _Bronx? Jersey? Philly? Long Island?_ Shit, I didn't know my Northeastern U.S. dialects well enough to guess, much less translate that garbled nonsense, but it sounded like he could've played an extra on _The Sopranos_.

It was all simply **too** irritating! I let fly the eye-roll I'd been holding back, along with a heavily sighed, "For real? I get a fucking newbie?"

Somehow I always drew the goddamn short straw! I couldn't even get killed by a sexy, three-hundred-year-old vampire with a cultured, aristocratic French accent, it had to be a pimply-faced, scrawny amateur from J. Lo's 'ole block.

"Wuddjew sahy deme?" he sneered, his red eyes blazing.

"You're _short_," I huffed without thinking, "and _scrawny_." Probably I shouldn't have antagonized my killer, but I was as good as dead in the next few seconds anyway, tired of this bullshit and in no mood to be cowed by Joey Buttafuoco's long lost vampire nephew who rather than whisper mysterious, sensual sweet nothings in French as he drained me was probably going to draw some bawdy comparison between my blood and his gramma's _manigot_ or _gabbagool_.

"And your accent ruins the whole sexy Dracula image your ilk worked so hard to propagate," I continued to insult recklessly. "Frankly I'm disappointed I'm about to be bled to death by a freshly turned novice speaking something akin to pig Latin after I was somehow lead to believe a sexy European accent came standard with a set of undead eyes and fangs!" I spat.

_Aw, fuck, that sure did it!_ He looked like fire might shoot out of his eyes he was so pissed at the affront.

"Ahyous mekin funna Sowphilly?" he growled harshly.

_Aha! _So it _was_ actually South Philadelphia then, _not_ Jersey… _interesting_.Though it was of small consolation I would now die knowing there apparently was some distinction. Then just as I was expecting him to call me a "mook" and tear into my carotid artery like it was a Philly cheesesteak, in perfect cliché horror movie fashion, an enormous black wolf came out of nowhere from behind him through the open front doorway, his huge jaws encasing my killer's entire head and dragging his flailing body back out through the door into the darkness outside and away from view.

_Holy crap, had that actually just happened? _I was momentarily paralyzed from shock, then suffered a delayed reaction and began screaming bloody murder at the top of my lungs all of fifteen seconds after the fact; an embarrassingly high-pitched squealing sound like some bimbo in a slasher fic might make. But I thought my heart might actually explode out of my chest when a solid, enormous, and very naked male body came flying back through the front door, kicking it shut so forcefully behind him I thought the side of the house might come down, before tackling me to the ground and simultaneously silencing me with a firm palm over my mouth. Large, muscled arms and legs had somehow wound about me and safely broken my fall, but the lightning fast action had shocked the shit out of me nonetheless and a strangled whimper tore from my throat as we hit the ground.

"_Shhh! _It's okay, it's okay," a calm deep voice reassured me. "He's gone now. You'll wake the whole reservation if you keep screaming like that."

_Huh?_ My mind drew a giant blank. I couldn't see my rescuer's face as it proceeded to nuzzle comfortingly against my left ear. His body was hot and felt enormously well built pressed up against me though so I knew it had to be one of our tribe's chosen Protectors, most likely the black wolf that had just decapitated Buttafuoco's _Sowphilly _relation on my behalf. But Leah had told me Sam was black in wolf form, and this _definitely_ wasn't Leah's Sam intimately holding me now and… ah… _blowing and sniffing at my ear?_

"God you smell good," he murmured into my neck. "Mmm…damn, you need to get fucked pretty bad, huh?" the unknown Shifter assessed softly as warm, full lips began to explore my neck.

_Wait? Huh? _I inadvertently made some kind of panicked, wheezing sound, but it was muffled against the large palm covering my mouth.

"Don't worry," he crooned reassuringly, "I'm here now. I ran the last 300 miles as fast as I could to come fuck you," he whispered tenderly.

_WHAT?_

I stopped breathing. It sure as hell wasn't innocent Seth or imprinted Embry whispering sexual obscenities in my ear either. _Had someone else phased that I didn't know about?_ The shaggy, dark brown hair brushing against my jawline was longer than I knew any of the guys' hair to be in our La Push pack, and I noted a soft, short growth of facial hair tickling my neck. While uncommon, facial hair growth was not impossible for males of Native American descent, despite what the traditional stereotype would have hoquats believe. That said the density and texture of facial hair didn't quite feel like a native's. And the tanned hand and shoulder skin visible to me seemed a little too light for most Quileute's as well. But that was the last astute observation I was able to make before my mind melted into incoherency when the stranger's very naked, very hard and _very large_ erection came to rest heavily against my pajama clad inner thigh. He commenced to full out nibble and suck at the skin of my neck at the same time.

"Oh, god…oh god…oh god…" I repeated nonsensically as my breathing sped up until it became quick, erratic panting.

"_Relax_," he gently commanded. I hadn't realized how tensely I'd been holding myself beneath him until a moment later he bit my earlobe sharply and it felt like every single muscle in my entire body, no matter how large or small, suddenly fell limp in response. His hand abandoned my mouth to run softly over my long, crazy mass of hair, his fingers rubbing soothingly against my scalp.

Fuck, I was on the floor of my parents' foyer, getting mauled by a large, naked shape-shifter I didn't even know and who may or may not even be native. And now he'd done something to my ear to cause such instantaneous muscle relaxation throughout my system it bordered on temporary mild paralysis… _like a Vulcan neck pinch from Spock or something…but without the loss of consciousness_, I mused randomly_. _I should've been utterly freaked. Yet I wasn't. If anything I was even more turned on by that crazy ear move he'd just pulled. Or was it the fact that his hands were now heading south and tearing my _Bugs Bunny_ pj's to shreds as they moved with urgency over my limp physique?

The way his long, slightly rough textured tongue swirled against my skin as it made it's erotic path down over my now naked body should have been illegal. I'd never in my life experienced such divine sensations. My "relaxed" form was soon shaking and undulating uncontrollably in response, and anticipation. I nearly shot through the ceiling when that talented tongue engulfed one of my nipples for the first time, causing my unknown sexy savior to chuckle and mumble something incoherently over my breast caught between his teeth. I shut my eyes and surrendered as warm hands stroked over my flesh that had swiftly become blanketed in goosebumps.

_Obviously I had to be fucking dreaming_…_or dead…definitely one or the other_.

It was the only possible way to rationalize the events of the past several hours, justify the existence of a Sowphilly vampire, not to mention explain how it was two warm, supernatural male hands managed to feel like ten as they seemed to stroke and massage over every inch of me at once. So I chose to reconcile that what had been a nightmare was now blissfully morphing into an erotic wet dream of sorts involving some faceless, dirty-talking, hot shape-shifter who'd just announced he'd run 300 miles as fast as he could to come fuck me. _Really, where did my subconscious come up with this stuff?_

Somewhere in the remote depths of my hapless mind I registered how alarmingly _real_, however completely insane, a dream it appeared to be, but my body was too far gone with need, too swept away with passion to care as my hips lifted and rolled eagerly to meet the descending mouth of the bearded stranger whose features remained stubbornly shrouded by his dark, shaggy mess of hair. Hair that a moment later I found myself clinging desperately to as his tongue danced over my slit, my thighs shamelessly spreading wider to accommodate him when he gently urged them to. _OH MY FUCKING GOD!_

I moaned and grunted encouragingly as he raised and positioned my bunny slipper clad feet over his broad shoulders, my pelvis straining up and rotating itself in a circular motion into his hot mouth, demanding more as his tongue slipped lightly along my folds.I vaguely heard him murmur something against my labia about his intention to fuck me for days before shattering apart in orgasm the instant his lips found and suckled my little magic button.

I couldn't be certain, but I think I started speaking in tongues and I might've experienced something close to hysterical blindness. It seemed to be a few minutes before my eyesight returned to normal, and the first thing my vision focused on was the embarrassingly juvenile _Bugs Bunny_ slippers still on my feet, slung over the broad, muscled back of the hot, dream shape-shifter who'd saved my life and then bestowed upon me my very first mind-blowing, heart-stopping, tongue-induced orgasm. I opened my mouth to laugh aloud at the absurdity of it all, but to my surprise a shuddering sob escaped instead.

His gentle lips took pity on my clitoris then and he raised his head to smile tenderly at me. As his gorgeous face was revealed to me for the first time, I gasped and hiccup-sobbed again like a total idiot. It didn't much matter; I knew for absolute certain I was dreaming now. And it was the best damn dream of my entire life. Because my shape-shifting dream savior and ravisher was_ Bennett! _Kim's hotter than hot older cousin Bennett Young, whose photos I'd been starry-eyed over since hitting puberty, was arising from between my damp thighs, his concerned features coming to hover over my now tear-stained face.

"Oh, baby," he cooed affectionately down at me. Then his eyes suddenly narrowed and darkened in anger as he studied my face.

_Great!_ Would this be the part where my dream turned back into a nightmare as he realized he'd somehow barged into the wrong house? Would he swear and storm out again? Blame his wolf's faulty olfactory and chalk it up to a tragic case of mistaken snatch identity? That scenario seemed more along the lines of how my dreams typically went.

He frowned and bent to sniff audibly at my bruised jaw. Then just as quickly his head snapped back up. Baffled brown eyes searched mine, his brow lifting as he asked, "_Alison?_"

I nodded cautiously, trying to guess where this crazy dream might be headed next.

Bennett rolled his eyes. "Sorry 'bout that." He chuckled humorlessly. After a pause he surprised me by inquiring, "You hit her back?"

"No!" I quickly exclaimed. He grinned. _Goddamn he had a nice smile_.

"Good," he smirked playfully, "'cause I know the best ways to irritate her. I can help you exact revenge." I grinned back. I felt lightheaded just looking at him. He was positively intoxicating. "But let's not talk about that now," he murmured as his mouth descended to within inches of my own.

I held my breath in anticipation of his kiss, but instead he cocked his head to the side and proceeded to lick my chin with the flat of his tongue, then all over my bruised jawline and up the side of my face, thoroughly coating me in his saliva. He briefly lifted his head to survey his tongue's handiwork then repeated the process two more times before he seemed to be satisfied. Somehow it wasn't at all gross either, but rather strangely erotic, and to my shock I found that not only did my jaw no longer ache, but my whole body was thrumming and pulsing on the verge of another orgasm by the time his mouth finally descended to mine.

"So…I really gotta fuck you now," he announced in a throaty whisper as his teeth captured my bottom lip, "m'kay?"

"Mm-hmm," I moaned in agreement, parting my mouth to allow his lips, teeth and tongue free access to devour me. _Holy Spirit Warriors help me was he a fantastic kisser!_ His tongue stroked against mine with a precision and quiet authority that stirred butterflies in my stomach and set my thighs aflame. My knees parted and my pelvis lifted, instinctively searching for something…_that giant wood jutting from his groin no doubt. _

I didn't find it though, as his warm hand came between my legs and found me first, probing against my center. His touch was gentle and exploratory as his fingertips tested my readiness, sliding slowly yet oh so very easily into my slippery wet entrance towards the promise land…until they met with my natural resistance.

"_Fuck_," he swore softly, withdrawing his fingers and lifting his mouth from my mine. "You're a virgin?" he confirmed, his tone reflecting disappointment and disbelief. Then after a pause, "Shit, are you legal?"

I blinked my eyes open and to my horror I found him actually grimacing down at my crotch_._ He'd said _virgin_ like it was some kind of disease.

"Yes…and _yes_," I answered. "Is…is that a problem?" My breath was coming in quick pants.

"No. _Sorta_. No. _Maybe_…" he mumbled cryptically. "It's just…" he sighed heavily, "I swore off hymen breaking two years ago. So…you'll have to break it yourself," he informed me with firm resignation.

"Um…what?" What the fuck did that mean, he'd sworn off hymen breaking? He spoke of it like it was a bad habit he'd worked to kick, like he was proud to reveal he'd refrained from hymen breaking for two years the way one in AA might announce they'd abstained from alcohol consumption. Was this a Southern California thing? Was there a new anti-hymen breaking fad that entailed a twelve-step program?

I shook my head dazedly. My dream was clearly taking a weird turn. "I'm not following. Were you…_addicted_ to hymen breaking before or something?"

He chuckled heartily. "Damnit, you're so fucking cute." He crawled up over me and leaned down to nip my bottom lip before sucking it into his mouth. "Naw, I was banging my super hot Women's Studies professor at Berkley for a spell and she wrote her PhD dissertation on the lifelong sexually liberating impact of young women breaking their own hymens."

"Huh?" I grunted into his mouth.

"Mm…mmm…baby," he groaned over my tongue, which he'd been rhythmically sucking into his mouth. "You make the sexiest sounds."

I had to stifle a crazy nervous giggle. Since when was '_huh_' sexy?

"I _really_ need to fuck you now," he emphasized again. "Let's break this hymen and get on with it, 'kay?"

"Huh?" I squeaked as his tongue assaulted my sensitive ear. Once again I was struck by how his hands somehow managed to travel everywhere at once as I felt them running up and down my body, stimulating and arousing my flesh, sending me into a sexual frenzy. This was by far the greatest sex dream ever… despite the random mention of his hot feminist professor's dissertation on hymen breaking.

"Her thesis really convinced me a woman should break her own hymen," Bennett rasped in my ear, "take charge of her sexuality through her first encounter. You know, sort of claim her sexual power; refuse to leave her hymen breaking experience in someone else's hands…or penis…however it happens to be." His fingers had moved south to tease between my slick folds again, tracing casually over my labia, making me insane with desire to experience more already. Either I was going crazy or I could actually feel another orgasm building. My legs spread wider of their own accord. My pelvis raised and rocked encouragingly up into his gently probing digits. "I haven't broken another hymen since," he avowed, his dark eyes penetrating mine as his finger stroked shallowly into my welcoming, wet center and his thumb circled over my hard little button. "And as much as my wolf wants to plow through that little barrier and pound you into the tile floor with my dick right now," he confessed candidly, "the feminist in me refuses to be a destroyer of hymens."

"_Fuck!_" I shouted as my body suddenly convulsed in orgasm again. "_Oh oh oh…fuuck!"_ My back arched like a bow off the cool floor. At the same time I grabbed onto his hand at my center with both of my own, pressing his too gentle thumb against my fluttering nub as hard as my strength would permit, setting off another orgasm…or a continuation of the last, I wasn't sure which. As the ringing in my ears died down I realized Bennett was growling nearly continuously, his whole body shaking as he hovered over me, watching me with gold feral eyes.

"Ahhh, pleeeease… please just fuck me already," I practically wailed. I didn't know what the hell had come over me that I was so sex-crazed, but I was on a roll, already three wild orgasms into this crazy hot dream I was having and I wasn't ready to stop. "_Please_, Bennett?"

His eyes widened in surprise. "You know my name, babydoll?"

"Uh-huh," I panted, "you're Kim's hotter than sin older cousin, Bennett Young." I giggled girlishly in spite of my heightened state of arousal. "I've been drooling over photos of you since the first time Kim started going to visit you for summer break when I was 12. I'm her best friend, Maggie." He grinned down at me, looking exceptionally pleased to hear I was a longtime fan of his. His eyes were still yellow though, and he'd resumed his growling. _God, I wanted him inside of me! That wolfy shit was kinky hot._

"I've masturbated to you loads of times over the years, actually," I confessed giddily, "but this is the first time I've ever had a sex dream with you in it. I've just been so horny lately I guess." His smile morphed into a frown as his brows knit together. "Please? Please just fuck me before I wake up and miss out on it?"

He shook his head. "You're not dreaming, Maddie," his deep voice resonated against the tile floor.

I giggled like some stupid twit. "It's _Maggie_." Then I rolled my eyes at myself. Who cared if he knew my name in my dream, anyway? I was wasting time correcting him.

"This isn't a dream," he insisted stubbornly again. "This is real. You're my imprint and I'm about to fuck you into next week so let's get on with breaking your hymen."

I groaned. Figures I'd be his imprint too. All the more proof I was dreaming. Nobody got imprinted on _twice_; especially not when that someone was _me_. "Oh, just break it, already," I huffed impatiently. "I don't mind."

"No!" he barked. "I won't be a destroyer of hymens," he proclaimed firmly again. "Especially yours. I won't take away my imprint's right to free her own vagina. Not when I know how inherently critical it might be to your self-esteem and sense of sexual liberation throughout the rest of our lifetime together."

_Oh, Jesus!_ "What if I don't want my vagina to be liberated?" I whined. "What if I have a liberated, feminist mind, but an old-fashioned, sexist pussy that doesn't even care about voting rights?" I bit my lip to stifle laughter as the absurd image of a suffragist vagina wielding a miniature picket sign sprang to mind.

He rolled his eyes at me. "Megan, this is serious! My dick's so hard it's painful," he complained through clenched teeth. "I _need_ to be inside you now."

"Hey, it's _Maggie_, alright?" I corrected again. "And what if I don't know how to… um… how to break it?"

"I'll coach you through it if you want me to. But it's best for you if you take charge of it." He looked sternly at me. "I mean that."

"Fine, _fine!_" I shook my head. How was I supposed to take anything so ridiculous seriously? Especially when he stared me down with those wolfish yellow eyes. What did it matter anyway? It was a dream, it's not like it would hurt. I just needed to figure out the logistics. "So how? What…what do I do it with?"

"Mm…I've coached girls through breaking it with their own fingers. Sometimes they've used my fingers, or my dick, or a dildo…one girl used a cucumber."

I scrunched my nose up at the mention of a cucumber. _How odd_. "If we use your fingers, isn't that the same as you breaking it?"

He was sucking on my neck as his fingers beneath my now relaxed hands began thrusting shallowly in and out of my hot, wet entrance again. "Uh-uh…you'll manipulate my fingers, fuck yourself with them. Is that what you want?" he asked eagerly.

"Sure," I agreed enthusiastically, not wanting his fingers to stop. Besides, if we took the time to locate an appropriate vegetable or ran upstairs to grab my vibrator I risked waking up from this dream before Bennett fulfilled his promise of pounding me into the foyer. _And I couldn't have that!_

"Great," he exhaled in relief. "Nice choice." His face split into a wide grin that just about made me swoon. To my disappointment his fingers did stop moving inside of me momentarily though as he instructed, "Grab hold of my wrist, okay?" Straining my neck up to see I did as told and held onto his wrist that was resting palm up between my crotch with both hands, noting that even his wrist and forearm were sexy as hell. His two middle fingers were still resting just inside of my entrance.

"Now move my fingers," he coached succinctly. "I'll hold them steady and you pull on my wrist to slide them in and out of you, 'kay?" His eyes held mine, as if looking for some confirmation that I understood. "Just like you would a sex toy, sweetie," he explained patiently.

I realized my mouth was hanging open. It was a wonder I wasn't drooling on myself. I saw his lips moving and knew he was asking me again if I understood the process he was suggesting. _As if it was the frickin Theory of Relativity rather than some overly zealous feminist's Theory of Hymen self-breaching 101._ If he _was_ real and not a dream he would've surely thought me some kind of imbecile_. _

But I couldn't help it. Dream or not, it was the hottest sexual encounter of my existence. I could already feel myself creaming all over his digits shallowly resting inside my entrance. I needed to get this stupid part over with so he could do me already before my alarm clock blared. His mouth was still moving, saying something trite now about how all hymens were different but it was very likely going to hurt. _Yeah, yeah yeah… _

Wanting to just be done with it before he started comparing my cunt to a snowflake or something equally cheesy, I grabbed onto his wrist and yanked his fingers forward fast and hard inside of me. Instantly I saw stars. "_**FUCK**__!_" I screamed at the top of my lungs, as a sharp, sickening pain radiated through me. "_**Fuck, fuck fuck!**__"_ Black spots formed in my vision. _Dear god, I'd actually just torn through my own fucking hymen!_ And that shit hurt like a motherfucker.

"Damn, girl! You just went for it." I heard Bennett's deep voice assess with a distinct measure of shock and admiration from somewhere above me through what sounded like a tunnel it was so muffled by the pounding of blood in my ears. I recalled the time I'd severed my own leg by accident in a dream once. It definitely hadn't hurt like this. _Crap! _Warm fluid trickled between my legs and onto my fingers wrapped over Bennett's and my stomach lurched. "Oh, god, I'm not dreaming." In perfect irony, I lost consciousness moments after finally accepting my conscious state when I jerked myself upright and got my first visual of the damage between my legs. I'd never been good with blood.

* * *

><p>When I came to again I was naked on my back sprawled out across the kitchen table. Bennett was standing crouched between my bent, spread knees, tending to my suffragist vagina with a cool, damp dishrag. I blinked against the harsh fluorescent lighting bearing down on us, exposing the very vivid, and startlingly conscious reality I was now facing. My best friend's hot, shape-shifting older cousin, who had tongued me to orgasm and then helped me break my own hymen, was now studiously cleaning my crotch with one of my mom's newest tea towels. <em>I was so gonna be grounded for life<em>.

I covered my face with my hands and fought hyperventilation. "Oh, god…oh god…oh god…"

"Aw, babygirl, does it hurt?" Bennett inquired sweetly.

"_NO!_" I snapped angrily. _Damnit, how had this happened?_ I'd been so certain that Sowphilly vampire could only have been a dream.

"You did awesome back there," his deep, husky voice complimented as he ran his hands up and down my legs comfortingly. "For real, that was the most badass hymen breaking I've seen yet."

It was all coming back to me in gruesome detail and I wanted to die of embarrassment. I'd definitely have to run away to Canada now.

"C'mon, the bad part's all over," he chuckled softly as his fingers worked to pry mine from my face.

My hands held on for dear life. "I can't look at you!" I protested.

"Aw, cutie, c'mon…there's nothing to be shy about here." I felt his body heat hovering directly over me as his breath fanned the backs of my hands and wafted into my nasal canal. Lord, he smelled better than _Chunky Monkey_. "Please look at me?"

I shook my head. How would I ever explain this to Kim?

He rubbed my arms and shoulders. "Fuck, darlin', you're breaking my heart here. Will you please just look at me?"

"I can't!" I wailed. "I frickin told you I'd masturbated to you for god's sake! Please, Bennett, just go. Please? I've never been so mortified in my life. I swear I thought for sure I was dream-"

The abrupt bark of laughter that escaped him was so loud it startled me. "For real? That's what you're embarrassed about?" He yanked my hands away and suddenly his highly amused, perfectly chiseled face was inches from mine. His perfectly _filthy _chiseled face. I hadn't noticed it in the dimly lit foyer, but now I could see that his gorgeous naked physique was actually dusted with a layer of dirt and smeared with mud in multiple places. _Duh!_ _He'd run in wolf form from California_. Somehow the dirt and grime just made him look even sexier too. And the memory of how he'd eaten me out in the foyer, after rescuing me from Buttafuoco vamp, made me practically cream the kitchen table. _Fuck! _

He inhaled deeply and smirked. "Girlie, you can use me anytime for your spank bank." He raised my hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to my palm. "Pretty sure you're not the first or last to objectify me." He sighed in mock weariness as he lowered my hand to his groin, now positioned at the side of the kitchen table dangerously close to my head. "It's a humiliation I've learned to live with," he pouted and wrapped my hand firmly around his thick erection. I gasped and tried to pull my hand away but he held it imprisoned beneath his own and began moving it up and down his shaft. "I know a great way we can ease your guilty conscience." I shook my head emphatically, as my eyes became transfixed on his huge manhood expanding and stiffening to life beneath my stroking hand.

"Maybe you'd feel a little better about selfishly using me to get yourself off if you let me come all over your chest now?" he offered with a politeness that belied his dirty suggestion. My eyes bugged open in shock and I covered my naked breasts with my free hand and arm. He chuckled and slightly increased the pace of our stroking, drawing my palm up over the head of his engorged cock first in order to pick up the pre-cum that had leaked from the tip, adding lubrication to aid our movement. He groaned and squeezed my fingers harder around his staff. I found myself leaking more juices of my own as I stared into his lust filled gold irises, finding the visual of his bicep and chest muscles twitching and straining as he guided me to masturbate him one of the most erotic things I'd ever witnessed.

The feel of his smooth, baby soft and yet rock hard shaft rolling beneath my fingers and palm had me so enthralled I barely noticed it when the fingers of his other hand began combing gently against my scalp, eventually wrapping firmly around the hair at the back of my head. "Better still for your guilty conscience if I come in your mouth now," he grunted, stepping closer and at the same time applying pressure to the back of my head until he'd brought my face to the edge of the table. "I'm definitely willing…if it'll help you live with yourself again," he groaned as he slipped his salty, thick mushroom head between my slightly parted lips.

I'd never even come close to performing oral sex before, yet strangely, I didn't even think to protest, mesmerized as I was by the sight of him and the surreal thrill of what was happening. Instead I moaned and swirled my tongue out, tasting him as he eased his length into my mouth. Intrigued, I hollowed my cheeks and sucked him further into my mouth, encouraged by his hisses of approval and the sensation of his fingers flexing and tightening their grip in my hair. I felt a surge of power I'd never experienced before at the sight of his jaw muscles tensing and his eyes rolling back into his head.

Before I even registered what I was doing I was taking him as far back into my throat as I could possibly manage, fighting to suppress my gag reflex. I found myself lightheaded with excitement and giddy with pride as panted, clipped words of encouragement and praise tumbled from his gorgeous mouth while he rocked his hips back and forth, shunting his length in and out between my increasingly swollen lips, surging deeper and deeper against the back of my throat with each stroke.

After wordlessly instructing me on how to rub his balls and the base of his shaft that I was unable to fit into my mouth, his hand that had been my initial guide released its hold over mine to caress my breasts and stomach. "That's it… so good… you're so good… fuck… just like that, angel…" he coaxed as his hips increased the pace of their thrust and his other hand at the back of my head guided and angled my mouth for his welcome invasion through gentle yanks and tugs on my hair. I hummed and moaned, slobbering over his length when his fingers caressing my belly finally slipped lower to confidently stroke into the sodden folds between my legs.

"So wet… fucking Christ…" he groaned and sank two fingers into my depths, pumping swiftly in and out without pause, mimicking the drive of his hips into my mouth as his thumb circled, then mercilessly flicked my straining, pulsing clitoris back and forth until I was screaming over his girth in my mouth, my body convulsing as I was hit with the most powerful orgasm yet. "Ah, god… oh fuck yeah…" he growled as my sensitive walls fluttered and clamped in climax over his thick digits. "_Fuck_… oh, yeah… that's my girl… swallow me, baby," he rumbled, pushing and holding his fingers as deep inside of me as they would go, gripping my head steady by the roots of my hair, jerking his pelvis spasmodically and ramming his cock past my gag reflex as he grunted and bellowed, unloading jet after hot jet of his pent up sexual frustration so far down my throat I barely tasted any of it. _Jesus, was that normal?_ My eyes watered reflexively even as I focused on staying calm and breathing through my nose. "Oh, fuck…that's right…so right… _fuck yeah_…" he panted, slowly releasing his death grip on my hair and eventually easing his twitching, still rock hard cock from my throat and wet mouth.

I inadvertently hissed and winced in slight discomfort when he withdrew his fingers from my swollen, tender sex, causing him to frown. Instantly his brown eyes filled with concern as he studied what I could only imagine was likely a blank, glassy-eyed expression on my face. I felt like I might be going into shock. I couldn't believe I'd just done that with him. With _Bennett_! With Kim's hot, 21-year-old, sexually proficient, shape-shifting Alpha cousin. _Did he even know what a big deal it was for me?_ Never before had I even been tempted to do such a thing with the guys I'd dated. He licked his fingers clean of my orgasm as he inquired softly, "Shit, darlin'…was that too aggressive?"

I had no response. It was as if my brain had shut down entirely. He knelt by the table, stroking my face and hair tenderly with long, kind fingers as he beseeched, "Please tell me I didn't hurt you? Or scare you?" I blinked, my mind racing to grasp onto something that would explain how in the world this entire night could actually be happening as he proceeded to rationalize, "Oh, babygirl, I promise you, I'm not normally this kind of aggressive, sex-crazed animal. But this imprinting is just some really trippy fucking shit, y'know?"

_Huh? _

_What? No! No, not that again!_ He couldn't seriously think he'd imprinted on me?

"No," I protested weakly, shaking my head as I pushed up to a seated position and swung my legs over the side of the table. "No, no, no, no! You _couldn't_ have imprinted on me," I argued.

"Oh, yes, I did," he nodded enthusiastically, moving along with me so that he was standing up and leaning over me now with a hand braced on either side of my hips against the table. "Trust me, honey, this is _definitely_ imprinting. Can't you feel that? That heat?" He gestured back and forth between our naked bodies with his hand. "That crazy fucking energy passing between us? It's fucking electric. I feel like there's this unbelievably powerful magnet pulling my cock straight towards your twat. You can't tell me you don't feel that?"

I swallowed and rubbed absently at my temple, trying to ignore the sensation of my apparently insatiable cunt dampening and throbbing once more for attention at his words. "Well, ah… _maybe…_ I feel a little… _something_ like… ah…"

"A little?" he smirked. "Honey, any shape-shifter within a ten mile radius could smell how wet you are for me right now…._STILL_…" he emphasized, "after your _FOURTH_ orgasm." He grinned lasciviously. "My little imprint's just warming up."

_Geez, way to make a girl feel like a total slut. _I stared back, dumbfounded.

"I mean…_fuck_…" he groaned, licking his lips and bending closer, "I just want to swirl my tongue inside every inch of you, girlie, you smell so fucking delicious."

"Oh… sweet… Jesus…" I breathed, pushing futilely against his arms bracketing me in.

"I'm so rock hard for you still that my penis feels like it's about to break off." He winced. "It's fucking painful, beautiful."

"Oh…um…ah…gah…" I switched tactics and crawled as fast as I could across to the other side of the table to escape him when he wouldn't budge. He was in front of me blocking my escape path again as soon as my slippers hit the floor, rubbing my shoulders and forcing my chin to look up at his beautiful face.

"I'm pretty sure I've been scenting your sweet cunt since before San Francisco, and I really don't mean to be crude, but I feel like if I don't pound my monster meat into your precious pussy soon I'll probably die from over extended imprint erection…" he licked his lips, his eyes devouring me like I was dinner, "or something."

_Oh, god!_ He'd actually _smelled _my cunt all the way from San Francisco? The very idea was at once revolting, outrageously insulting _and yet_… oddly flattering and… _sexy_? Ugh, goddamn this crazy imprinting nonsense! I knew I would be the biggest, most complete and total imbecile on the planet to believe a ridiculous line like that. _And yet_… he really _did_ look as if he were in actual _physical pain_.

_Fuck me I __**was**__ an imbecile!_ All he had to do was pout those full, pink lips at me and I sensed myself crumbling internally. In spite of my better intentions, I stole a glance down at his "monster meat" and felt my cheeks flame crimson. He really was huge and beanstalk erect, as if he hadn't just come minutes ago down my throat. I groaned aloud and smacked my hand over my face. When I peeked between my fingers a moment later it was to find him smiling down at me, looking like a man completely enchanted… enthralled… _imprinted_.

_Shit!_ _There was just no fucking way._ And yet I couldn't deny I felt the magnetic pull towards him just as I did for Jared. _Oh, my god, Jared!_ Why was this happening to me? What sort of cruel joke were those Spirit Warriors trying to play? I strengthened my resolve.

"Bennett, I just… you just… ugh, you **can't** have imprinted on me," I whined, attempting to push him out of my way again.

"Oh, honey, trust me, there's fucking **never** been a girl like you for me before!" he swore. "I absolutely know for certain this has to be the imprinting," he stressed, "I'm positive of it."

_Oh, damnit, well when his pouty lips put it that way…_

"I mean, I've **never** been attracted to your type before," he avowed. "Seriously fucking _**never**_."

_Huh?_ What had he just said?

"Honest to god, I wouldn't have even for a second thought to ask a girl like you out," he insisted, "much less try to sleep with you, so there has to be some kind of crazy magic making me want you as badly as I do right now."

_It was official; I whole-heartedly detested the concept of imprinting_. I closed my eyes and breathed in and out through my nose to the count of five, then I swallowed, hard, before opening my eyes and looking straight into his again.

"Well Bennett, um… thanks for saving my life earlier." I tried to keep the pure disdain out of my tone but found it an impossible feat. "It's been a real _treat_ meeting you." I was fairly certain he caught my hurt and sarcasm then as his face fell and his brows furrowed. "I'm sure we'll uh… run into each other again sometime… at a pack meet… err… bonfire… or something."

"Wait, no! _No no no_, you're taking what I just said all wrong. I didn't mean it like that, Mabel."

"It's Maggie!" I gritted, lashing out and whacking my hand against his chest as hard as I could. _Shit, now my palm stung like the devil._

"Maggie!" he exclaimed with a wince. "Right…_Maggie_," he reaffirmed, as if trying to set it to memory.

_Really? How fucking hard a name was it to remember?_

"What I meant was…" he groaned and ran a hand through his disheveled, dirty…_sexy bed_ hair, "fuck this is hard…" he muttered irritably, more to himself than to me, "this whole imprint honesty thing. It's like I can't lie to you no matter how much I seriously want to right now."

I contemplated just slapping him in the face and getting it out of my system, no matter how much it might hurt my hand, while I watched him shift on his overly muscled, tanned legs. He was so obnoxiously gorgeous.

"What I meant was, I see you and realize how totally stupid I've been. I mean, I never saw myself as shallow before, but looking at you now I realize all this time I've just been going for the obvious types. Y'know, girls with classically beautiful features and a perfect set of tits and ass." He shrugged. "Leggy underwear models who just want me to fuck them and their hot girlfriends at wild group sex parties up in the Palisades." I fought to keep my jaw from dropping open in blatant disgust and horror. "God, I never realized how obviously empty my relationships were until just this moment. I mean, after the first two dozen times it gets pretty old having two girls lick your dick at the same time." He shook his head. "Christ, why didn't I ever see that before now?"

_Wow, and just when I'd thought it couldn't get any more embarrassing or insulting. _I felt my cheeks go up in flames as I struggled to breathe and maintain some semblance of composure. So maybe I wasn't a model gorgeous Leah Clearwater with razor sharp cheekbones you could dice vegetables with. Nor did I possess Kim's Angelina Jolie pillow pout or perky C cup boobs. But my mama hadn't raised me to measure my self worth by those factors either, and I'd be damned if I was going to let this hot, naked, wealthy, private school shithead from Los Angeles with the magic tongue and fingers rattle my confidence anymore than he already had.

"Well…I'm so glad my classically _un-_attractive features and lack of tits and ass could help provide some clarity and perspective for you…uh… _Benjamin_…_was it_?" I emphasized with as much railing sarcasm as I could manage. "I'd love to stay and chat but I have two male underwear models upstairs desperate to lick my clit simultaneously and I don't want to keep them waiting any longer." I realized after the fact I'd shouted the last part as I finally succeeded in barreling past him in his shocked state.

He growled from behind me and was blocking my exit path again a moment later, shaking his head emphatically. "No! No, damnit, you're just not hearing me right, Maggie."

"Oh, no? I think I heard you just fine!" I screeched shrilly, horrified to find I was actually blinking back tears now. And then the rambling at breakneck speed set in, "And I don't care if your penis breaks off and you die from over-extended imprint erection…_or_… whichever happens first…that is. Because I already have an imprinter who I'm pretty sure has an even bigger battering ram than you do and just can't wait to fuck me with it. And you know what? I don't want his cock either!" I insisted, laughing maniacally even as I realized he'd somehow managed to corral me over by the staircase. "Because I have more sexy male underwear models lining up for twat licking orgies with me right now than I can even begin to pencil in around my numerous after school commitments."

"I never said you had unattractive features, Maggie!" he shouted. For the first time he actually looked pissed. _Good!_

"Well I have Chess Club after school every other Tuesday," I threw back at him nonsensically.

"You have beautiful, exotic features that I've never seen positioned so exquisitely on a face before," he professed so sincerely I gulped in spite of myself.

Wait, he said he couldn't lie to me if I was his imprint…so how…? _Uh-uh!_ I shook off the lame girl effects his stupid flattery was having on me. He was steadily backing me up the stairs now.

"I have Mathletes every Wednesday!" I exclaimed, slamming my fist down onto the stairway railing for effect.

He grinned his amusement; his gleaming white teeth making him look more predatory as he backed me up the dimly lit staircase. "Uniquely gorgeous features that make me want to stare at your face for hours in every possible kind of lighting until I've memorized every curve, each delicate slope, every single hard and fine angle."

"I'm President of the Debate Team," I announced stupidly. _Clearly I wasn't showcasing much debate skill here._

"And your _skin_," he revered, his eyes darkening as he bit his bottom lip. "Mm-mmm, your skin is this unbelievably smooth, glowing, breathtaking caramel macchiato shade that I never want to stop swirling my tongue over."

_Damn. Felt that one pulse straight up my peesh._

"Thursdays I have Glee Club!" I blurted a little over zealously, completely thrown by the skin compliment. _Fuck, now I was plain fibbing for no good reason_…_La Push didn't even have a Glee Club_. Why couldn't I think of something more clever to say in retort than just listing off after school clubs and extracurricular activities like a moron? In my confusion I spaced and halted momentarily on the landing at the top of the stairs. I gasped when Bennett's big warm hands closed over my naked breasts, jolting me back into awareness.

"Until tonight I don't think I even remembered what real tits were supposed to look like anymore," he confessed, his voice sounding husky above me as I closed my eyes and tried to fight against the sensations melting my insides. "I'm not sure when the last time before you was I even felt a real pair."

"I…_ungh…_" I groaned as the sensation of his rough hands on my small mounds shot right to my traitorous cunt. "I have…_ahhh_…Junior…_fuck_…Tribal Council S-s-societ-t-ty," I moaned and stammered, "every…other…Thur…Thursday."

"You have adorably perfect, pert little breasts that I don't have to worry about being too rough with for fear I could break some plastic bag and leak toxic silicone into your system that might make you sick."

_Ewe!_ Oh, double ewe and a shudder! When he put it that way…

"And your ass is perfect." His hands reached around to grip and squeeze my buttocks, pulling me flush against him so that his erection was pressed against my stomach. "Firm and soft all at once. Just the right tactile combination and amount of flesh for me to grab onto as I bury and grind myself into you." I made a strange noise against his shoulder, completely at a loss for words now as his hands rolled over my ass cheeks, fingers spreading them open and delving into my soaked cleft from behind.

"I'm class _**valedictorian**__!_" I exclaimed as the breath I'd apparently been holding burst forth from my lungs. I could have sworn I heard Bennett suppressing a snicker as his shoulders directly in my line of vision shook suspiciously. I braced my hands against his solid chest for support and just barely managed to squeak in a breathless, hopeless whimper, "I'm not like this…I'm not like your kind of…shallow, vain, slutty California girl."

"Oh, sweetheart," he chortled softly, "trust me, I know that, Maggilicious." He peppered kisses to my temple. "You're taking this all wrong. The very last thing I want to do is upset you or disrespect you." Gripping me below my ass cheeks where his fingers had been massaging, he pulled me up his hard body until we were eye level. It didn't escape my notice his thick erection was now pressed squarely between my spread labia.

Up close, his big, brown, puppy dog eyes were hypnotic, so much so I found it impossible to doubt his sincerity. "I just came here to worship you, babydoll. I know I've only just met you." He rubbed his nose alongside mine, pressing little teasing kisses around the corners of my mouth. "And I barely know your name. But I've never met another girl brave enough to stare down and insult a vampire the way you did tonight." He might've been utterly full of shit, but my breath still caught at the admiration I saw in his eyes. He was simply impossible to resist at such close proximity, and I found myself hanging on every single word of praise that fell from his lips.

He smiled and continued, knowing he had my rapt attention as his lips brushed lightly over mine. "A sexy, spirited virgin with balls enough to break her own hymen on the floor of her parents' house in the middle of the night with a total stranger." I groaned, partly because that fact was embarrassing, but mostly because his cockhead had begun rhythmically pressing up and rubbing eagerly against my entrance. "A shy and inexperienced angel so curious and clever she managed to swallow my cock like a porn star her very first time ever giving head." I felt myself blushing all the way down to my toes still hidden in my slippers. He grinned at the effect and kissed me hard on the mouth. When our lips finally broke apart I found myself sandwiched between Bennett and the wall in the upstairs hallway, my arms and legs wrapped around him for dear life as I gasped for air.

His voice was strained when he spoke next. "Even if you did use me for spank bank material over the years, I know you wouldn't have done the things you did with me if you didn't feel the imprint bond for me the way I do for you." He was still teasing, yet his eyes and soft tone had become serious. "Maggie, I respect the fact you're smart, funny, spunky as hell, and clearly have way more after school activities and male model twat licking orgies lined up than the average 18-year-old girl could ever juggle. I look forward to you challenging my ego and keeping my ass in line from here on out. But right now I'm just battling a primal urge to pile drive you into the drywall, babygirl. And to be honest, I'm used to getting what I want from girls so I haven't had to indulge much game playing in a long time."

He held me perfectly still, barely breathing, refraining from grinding himself against my throbbing sex, as he watched my features for some sign the message was sinking in. "So we can play this cat and mouse game until late morning if it makes you feel better; satisfies some conventional need you have to hold out on a guy or something, but in the end, I'm just going to tackle you to the ground and give you what I know we both want." Again he paused, waiting for some sign that I wasn't sure I was even capable of giving.

"So unless you have some valid, compelling objection to me giving it to you so good over and over again until I'm the one who has to correct you when you forget your own name, I'm just gonna take you to your room now and get on with it, alright?" I sniffled and giggled, simultaneously overwhelmed with emotions I couldn't define, as I wrapped my arms and legs more securely around him. I felt him smile against my jaw before whispering fervently, "I'll take good care of you, Maggie, I promise." I nodded and held onto him tighter.

There was a pause before he broke the spell by asking hesitantly, "Uh…where do you think your dad might keep his condoms?" I scrunched my nose up in disgust at the thought.

"I'm _onthepill_," I mumbled quickly against his cheekbone. He drew back and regarded me curiously, an odd glint in his eyes.

"Oooh, baby," he teased, "you must've smelled me coming long before I scented you."

I closed my eyes and blushed under his amused scrutiny, confessing, "Well, I read the hormones might make my boobs bigger." I groaned with embarrassment when he began to shake us both with his barely suppressed laughter. "So…I _might_…" I admitted sheepishly, "I might be just as vain and slutty as your California girls."

He laughed aloud, "Oh, thank god! Vain sluts are my favorite kind to bed down with," he joked. "As long as we're talking fiercely competitive vain sluts and not lazy vain sluts." His grin was wide and infectious. I smiled shyly back and found myself tracing his full lips with my fingertips, unable to resist the temptation. His smile remained even though his eyes darkened and his tone grew more serious as he whispered, "Judging by the way you swallowed my cock down your throat on the first try and the fact you're class valedictorian, I'm willing to bet you're the former kind." He nipped playfully at my fingertips and I watched with heavy eyelids as he sucked my ring finger partially into his mouth. "Let's go find out if I'm right."

I felt certain there was something critical I was neglecting to mention to Bennett as he carried me towards my bedroom, lowering me further down onto his length nudging inside of me with every step. But I forgot everything as he fulfilled his promise to look after me, _and then some_. I lost track of how many orgasms I had, how many times and different positions we pleasured one another in. We did it slow and gentle the first few times until I got used to his size and the way he felt inside of me from different angles. Then things got a little more aggressive and acrobatic, a little more intense and animalistic as he let his yellow-eyed beast out to play. _I loved all of it._ And somehow I never got sore. He insisted on stopping to clean and thoroughly lick me inside and out in between every few rounds, claiming it was some supernatural, wolfy healing trick he'd learned about from Really Old Quil of all people. Whether it was psychosomatic or really magic, I couldn't say. But it seemed to work, and at some point it became Bennett's go to excuse each time he insisted on eating me out upside down from behind in the shower. I could have told him he didn't need an excuse, but I didn't. I just huffed and rolled my eyes and made him work to convince me it was for my own good every single time, then endured the agony of yet another screaming orgasm wrought from cunalingus.

_Maybe I would learn to like the concept of imprinting after all._

**A/N - Thanks for reading! :) I know, I know...I left out the juicy fornication details. I really struggled with that, knowing how pissed my teeny tiny troop of Jared supporters out there were going to be with this whole chapter. So I promise to include the details the first time Maggie hooks up with both of her imprinters, Jared and Bennett. (If I haven't been kicked off FF already at that point, that is.)**


	30. Chapter 30 - Ensigns & Allies

_**A/N – Sooo… if anyone's still actually reading this, a thousand apologies for the delay! I know I've been super shitty about responding to emails and reviews lately too but I had to seriously buckle down at work over the last 6 months and completely abandon all things FanFiction for a while, even turning off my alerts for a time and unfortunately forgetting/misplacing some of my passwords to certain other wolf sites in the process. :o **_

_**So yeah…I'll be posting to JBNP & TR as soon as I locate those…**_

_**If you're still reading, thank you for your patience and support! Thank you for all the reviews and favorites and follows!**_

_**This chapter picks up where we left off with Kim and Paul in Ashland, OR, in Chapter 28. It then goes on to continue where I left things with Quil and Alison and the gang in Seattle in my 3 part outtake series, "Because we both like Women". Thanks for reading!**_

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><p><em><strong>(Kim's POV)<strong>_

There are moments in life we don't always have the emotional wherewithal to process, the intellectual capacity to decipher, or the innate courage to confront. And so we just don't. We stack them on shelves, hide them in dark closets; bury them in backyards. We say one day we'll open that dusty chest…dig up that bad memory and deal with it; find an appropriate space to fit it. It's the old Scarlett O'Hara avoidance syndrome whereby we rationalize we'll somehow be better equipped tomorrow for what we can't handle today. As I awoke cradled in Paul's arms to the sound of him grilling my aunt Susie and uncle Todd, I knew it in my bones, my tomorrow had finally come.

"What the-? Is that what I think it is?" Paul's deep voice questioned incredulously from above me. I blinked my eyes open to see Susie casually toss a large, odd-looking firearm into Todd's awaiting hands where he stood rapidly loading up the back of the Escalade.

"Yup, flamethrower," Susie answered simply, then added with a shrug, "Got a friend in pyrotechnics at Universal."

"Just who the fuck are you guys?" Paul demanded.

Susie's eyes brightened as she took notice that I was coming to and cooed, "Oh, sweetie, are you okay?"

As she stepped forward, extending a concerned hand in my direction, Paul twisted at the waist, effectively jerking me out of her reach while at the same time drawing me protectively closer in to his chest. In truth, I was mystified myself by what appeared to be a practiced, _Mr. & Mrs. Smith_ routine unfolding before my bleary eyes between my aunt and uncle. Certainly it had the makings of a _McMillan and Wife_ episode at the very least. But it didn't really warrant Paul's rude treatment by a long shot in my estimation. I wanted to scold him, but it was requiring all of my energy simply to keep my eyelids open. I managed to mumble something unintelligible into the skin of his chest before he hoisted me higher and kissed me on the head, murmuring, "Everything's alright, baby," before directing his frustration back at my aunt.

"Seriously, what the hell's going on?" he hissed crossly. "What is all this shit? Do you always pack in anticipation of being attacked by a team of vampires? Who the fuck are you people?"

Susie squinted at him in confusion. "We're _parents_," she responded nonchalantly, stating the obvious. "This is what we _do_."

I felt Paul's growl of annoyance vibrate up through his chest against my cheek. "Well I'm not going anywhere with you whackos 'til you give me some answers. And neither is Kim!"

Aunt Susie rolled her eyes in vexation. "Kimprint, there's no time now. We'll explain on the drive to Seattle."

Fortunately uncle Todd finished loading up and securing the back gate of the SUV in time to intervene just as Paul's whole body began to tremble in marked agitation. "Honest to God, Paul, we're not trying to be cute," he inserted apologetically, shooting an irritated look at his wife, "there really isn't time. We got word there's been an attack on Alison and the pack in Seattle. And we're obviously not safe here. We'll tell you everything we know on the drive, okay?"

"You know," Sensai seemed to materialize out of nowhere from around the far side of the Escalade to interject, "Kim, Paul and I could make it there faster if we just sprinted in wolf form," he suggested.

"You don't say, all-wise, Sensai?" Paul derided. "Well one of us just dented a tree with her fucking head, and while you and Bennett might not have any protective instincts towards your own pack mate, _I do_," he growled. "I'll hogtie and sit on her wolf before I let her run to Seattle."

There was a pause before Sensai foolishly responded in utter seriousness, "I dunno…she's pretty strong, you might not be able to subdue her."

As I choked back my own attack of horrified, stress response laughter, I heard aunt Susie's ring out like a bell.

It was uncle Todd though, not Paul, who surprised us all by being the one to erupt in sudden fury. "Kim is _not_ running to Seattle," he declared, "and in fact, she and her wolf will be sitting on Paul in the backseat if we're all going to fit. Now would everyone just get in the fucking car, please, before I tranq the lot of you?!"

I'd never even seen my uncle Todd angry before, much less this intensely worked up, so the sight of him suddenly red-faced with his chest heaving, combined with aunt Susie's smothered snort of laughter from behind her palm moments later, threw me over the edge into my own fit of wheezing, albeit weak giggles.

As aunt Susie tried to compose herself and I sputtered apologies to my uncle, I peeked surreptitiously up at Paul and noted his expression had softened and that he and uncle Todd seemed to be sharing a moment of understanding and commiseration. Todd rolled his eyes and shook his head in a defeatist gesture, muttering sarcastically, "Meet _my _pack, Kimprint."

After some initial verbal jabs back and forth between Paul and Sensai, the cab lapsed into awkward, heavy silence and the first 30 miles of our little Escalade expedition passed without incident until Aunt Susie suddenly, and quite loudly, offered over her shoulder from the front passenger seat, "Anyone want gum?"

"_Trident_?" Sensai asked.

"_Epic_," Susie supplied.

"Ooh, epic choice!" Sensai complimented lamely as he reached forward to grab a piece.

"**Talk**," Paul boomed impatiently. "_**Now!**_"

Susie sighed. "It all started after our trip to Italy when Alison was five." She craned her neck to peer back at me through the darkness where I sat huddled against Paul's warm chest. "Kim, honey, do you remember when we came to visit you and your parents in La Push right after our trip to Europe? You would've been about four at the time."

I felt a gnawing sense of dread blooming in the pit of my stomach as I shook my head. I chose to ignore my Aunt Susie's frown and focused on the barely audible sound my hair made sliding back and forth against Paul's smooth, muscled shoulder.

"Todd and I came to meet with your Tribal Elders," Susie continued, "and that seriously old pen guy with the creepy eyes."

"_**Quil**_," Uncle Todd interjected, his tone replete with exasperation, "his name is _Really Old Quil_. How many times do I have to tell you that? Jesus, he's probably going to be Alison's great grandfather-in-law at this rate," he huffed. "Just learn his name already, because it's the same as his son's and great-grandson's! How hard is that for you to remember one name that'll cover three generations of our future of in-laws?"

"Oh, just calm the fuck down," Susie snapped back. "I've yet to be convinced our daughter's going to end up married to someone named after a writing utensil, okay? You know full well she's going through another lesbian phase."

_Alison was in a lesbian phase? _Uncle Todd assumed Alison and goofy Quil Ateara V would be getting married? _Say what?_

"They were naked in the hotel shower together when the vampire showed up!" Todd shouted, even as he blushed furiously. "I told you before that imprint shit's no joke."

_Oh, my god!_ My head was starting to spin as I endured another _Twilight Zone_ yarn being woven to life around me. Paul must have sensed my distress because he held me closer and ran a soothing hand up and down my spine.

"_But_ let's not forget there was a dead lesbian found in the adjacent master bedroom!" Susie pointed out triumphantly, causing Todd to groan and swear under his breath. "Excuse me, but I know my own daughter," she looked behind her seat and directly at Sensai for some strange reason to deliberately emphasize, "and no matter how many guys she's been attracted to over the years, she _always_ comes back around to her love for the ladies."

Sensai cleared his throat and shifted awkwardly in his seat under Susie's pinning gaze as Paul's flat baritone sliced through the surreal haze enveloping me. "Just what the fuck happened in Seattle? Who's dead?"

"Alison and the pack are all okay," Todd quickly assured. "We're not sure who the unfortunate girl was exactly or why she was in Alison's hotel room."

"Oh, good grief!" Susie exclaimed. "Honey, we know she was found naked in bed and in possession of Alison's personal _Hello Kitty_ paraphernalia. I think we can safely assume she was Alison's companion for the night."

"We don't know all the facts yet," Todd refuted. "Maybe she was one of the other boys'…friends."

"Well we know Bic boy and Kim's Jeremy are both imprinted," she countered, "and Ephraim's great-grandson Jackson is 'totes gay', to quote Really Old Milky Eyes."

As my befuddled brain was trying to determine whether there might be a third pack I didn't yet know about, uncle Todd exploded at my aunt, "Fucking hell, woman! It's _Quil_, _Jared_ and _Jacob_, okay? Pretending you can't remember the pack members' names won't make this imprinting situation go away. Like it or not, they're my tribe and they _are_ going to be Alison's family."

"**Fine!**" Susie's shrill screech was wrought with emotion, "then your whole damn tribe is destined to be wiped out along with our daughter! Isn't that right? _**Assuming**_," she screamed, "that your crazy fucking witch sister's predictions are true!"

I sensed nausea welling up to my solar plexus. I felt Paul's lips at my temple but failed to register the whispered words he'd meant to comfort me as my aunt continued to rail at my uncle.

"But let's not let any of that hamper your excitement over your new future pen-in-laws!" she sobbed.

I missed uncle Todd's more softly spoken response, as it was drowned out by the ringing in my ears. I couldn't make out what Paul said next either. But I caught Susie's furiously spat rebuttal as she cried out, "It's _not_ okay! That _imprinter_ bit our daughter and then showered her with broken glass when he exploded into a freakish fur-ball inside a five-star hotel bathroom."

My stomach leapt into my throat. _Alison was hurt_. Spots formed in my vision.

_This was my fault. _

Oddly familiar yet unknown words spoken in my mother's voice seemed to repeat themselves in my head.

_It was all ultimately going to be my fault._

A horribly vivid image of Alison bleeding on the floor sprang into my mind clear as day. It was so real it felt like it was happening in that moment and that I was right there with her. Yet at the same time the entire scene smacked of déjà vu nightmare. Only she wasn't naked in a shower. And though her clothes were torn and bloodied, near as I could tell it didn't appear as if she'd been showered with broken glass. She was slumped against some wooden cabinets, her legs sprawled across a bloodied tile floor. One of her arms appeared broken, lying uselessly at her side. But she smiled. As a menacing, red-haired, red-eyed psycho approached her, the Alison in my vision gifted her with a lopsided smirk and the finger. I felt my upper teeth sink into my bottom lip as just one word struggled to form itself in my mind's eye vision. _Phase!_

_Phase?_

It was as though I'd seen this gruesome scene play out before. I couldn't hear Alison's spoken words but I was able to read her lips as they told the imposing vampire, "Fetch, bitch," and waved what I now realized wasn't actually Alison's middle finger, but in fact a _severed finger_ tauntingly at the deadly vampire who was ready to pounce!

"I said pull over!" Paul's voice resounded through the blood pounding in my head, vanquishing my vision as Alison tossed the severed digit to someone else just outside of my mind's eye view. I felt the car skid to the right and lurch to a halt. "She's gonna be sick," Paul announced anxiously.

Huh?_ Who?_ Aunt Susie?

I was foolishly pondering how Paul could possibly know Aunt Susie was on the verge of retching when I felt the bile rising up in my own throat as Paul hauled me outside the SUV. He held my hair as I emptied the angry contents of my stomach onto the side of the road. As he kept repeating that everything was going to be all right, I couldn't help but agree with my aunt's assessment. _Everything was not okay_.

And I had a terrible growing sense that somehow it all had to do with Alison_. Something and everything hinged upon Alison_.

Aunt Susie had just called my mother a witch. She'd said she made predictions…about Alison and our tribe.

So much of everything I didn't want to remember I realized in my heart of hearts had to do with Alison. I recalled seeing Alison's name written in my mother's script as a child. _Was it a memory or my imagination?_

I remembered Sue Clearwater's annoyingly concerned eyes a week ago as she'd held the shopping list Seth had crumpled…just as she'd held the note from my mother that day.

_There was a note from my mother?_

I remembered flushing red with anger and embarrassment at Sue finding it…reading it. _She'd had no right to snoop into our private world of crazy._

_But what had become of the note?_ I tried to focus on exactly what it had said…to envision the words in my mother's scrawl on the bloodied paper.

_My mother had left a note!_

I could almost see the words; they were so close to surfacing. I could almost resurrect the emotions I'd felt upon reading each word, even as I went through the motions of mumbling reassurances to Paul and a hovering aunt Susie as Paul dabbed a proffered damp cloth from Susie over my face and tried to comfort me by the side of the road. Something kept nagging at me and getting in my memory's way though.

As Susie fussed and Paul shushed and soothed, my attention became singularly drawn suddenly to the white cloth in Paul's hand as he withdrew it from my forehead. In the glow of the SUV headlights I noted the bright stain of blood on the cloth from where Paul had dabbed at the wound on my head and I realized it must have reopened in all the excitement. And that's when it hit me…_there had been blood_. I was trying to remember words written on a _bloodied_ piece of paper.

_My mother had left a note._

That fact alone should've been enough of a fucking a tip off for me. I clearly remembered the note now, as it had looked that day in the kitchen. Besmirched with blood…just as my hands had been. Only it hadn't been my blood. It had been hers.

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><p><em><strong>(Alison's POV)<strong>_

"_Ow!_ Watch it, dracula!" I whined into the feather pillow mashed beneath my face, gritting my teeth and preparing to smother whatever screams of agony had yet to come with this process. This was hardly how I'd envisioned the night ending an hour ago when Quil had been ears deep in my twat, giving me the tongue fucking of a lifetime. And I was at a loss as to how I should be expected to process the three friendly veggie vamps in my wrecked presidential suite now without the benefit of some form of cannabis in my system. As if things could get any worse than a vampire stalker interrupting legendary shower sex, a boyfriend stuck in giant wolf form inside the Seattle Four Seasons and a doctor about a century past his natural expiration date picking shards of glass from my heart-shaped hiney, now I was suddenly immune to the effects of marijuana?

"I'm sorry but I have to work quickly," he muttered apologetically. "Your skin seems to be healing and closing over faster than I can remove the glass."

"Why's it doing that, Carlisle?" the pocket-sized vampire girl crowding me on my right asked the obvious in that annoying, sing-song trill of hers. I'd known her for all of about fifteen minutes and despite her having helped save my life, I found myself already hating her.

"I'm not sure, Alice," Carlisle answered simply, then remarked thoughtfully, "She seems to possess the healing capability of a shifter…yet she displays no other qualities or indications of being one."

"Wacky stuff," the buff vamp in the corner chimed in, sounding bored. So far I liked him the best since he'd been the one to tackle my sadistic vampire stalker before he could kill Quil and me. Plus, he'd kindly turned his back to my naked, exposed rear without having to be asked.

I was barely able to smother my next yelp of pain with the pillow before Dr. Carlisle seemed to once again purposely stab me in my tender tushie. "Ugh, _fuuckk!_ Damnit, could I try another hit, please?"

"You don't think five tries is enough?" Alice quipped.

"Just pass me my damn herb, little dead girl!" I squawked back.

"_No_," she had the audacity to huff in response, "I don't think smoking pot right now is a very responsible idea."

_Oh, geez, I'd had enough of these goodie two shoe veggie vamps._ "JARED!" I bellowed at the top of my lungs. "JAR-ED! _JARE_-"

Grouchy Smurf responded to my distress call by blowing through the door of the adjacent hotel suite and clamping his hand over my mouth. "Will you shut the hell up, already? We've already drawn enough attention to ourselves for one night," Jared chastised.

Squealing in embarrassment, I swatted his hand from my face, "Look away, damnit!"

He rolled his eyes in disgust. "Pullease! Don't flatter yourself. I've got bigger things to distract me at the moment than checking out some skinny white girl's ass."

I heard Buff vamp snicker in the corner as a more disturbing thought suddenly occurred to me, making my stomach churn with worry. "Wait, who's with Quil if you're in here in human form? Is he okay? Has he woken up yet?"

"You think I could keep him away from you if he had?" Jared snorted. "He's fine. Heart rate and breathing are normal but he's still out cold…_and_ still in wolf form. That was some heavy fucking tranquilizer you gave him, doc Carl." There was no mistaking the accusation in Jared's tone as he eyed the vampire doctor with barely contained contempt.

"It's Carlisle," the dead doctor prodding my left cheek for remaining glass pieces informed with a sigh. "And the sedative should have worked its way through his system by now. I don't understand why it hasn't."

"Well, that's just _super_," Jared scorned, "that makes two unsolved mysteries, since I can't figure out why the hell Quil didn't automatically phase back to human form once he was sedated either."

"_Three_ unsolved mysteries actually," piped in Tinkervamp, "since we also don't know why Alison is healing so rapidly."

"_Four_, amigos," Buff vamp interjected affably, "we as yet don't have a clue why Felix is so hung up on the hot little human here with the perky ass."

"Hey," I protested over my shoulder, "keep your dead eyes to yourself, _amigo!_" Internally I couldn't help but cringe at the sound of my sadistic stalker's name being spoken aloud, even as I fumed in indignation at the fact Buff vamp apparently _had_ snuck a peek or two at my rear while this whole time I'd thought he was being a gentleman.

Before I could bring myself to ask the veggie vamps in the room just how and what they knew about Felix though, Jared erupted into full-blown Asshole Smurf mode upon seeing poor Lena's form, now wrapped securely in multiple layers of sheets, laying lifeless on the hotel room floor.

"Hey, what the hell's her body still doing in here, Emmett?" Jared complained callously to Buff vamp. "I thought you guys said you'd handle disposing of it?"

Straining my neck to scowl at Jared, I turned in time to see Emmett shrug, "We're waiting for Edward to come back and confirm the coast is clear."

"Fucking Christ, we haven't got all night!" Jared griped. "Jacob can only make stupid excuses to hold off hotel management for so long before they'll send someone up here to investigate the noise complaints and see about all the damage we've caused."

_By Buddha Jared was an unconscionable prick!_ For the life of me I'd never figure out what Kim had seen in him for all those years. Thank fuck her canine side had ultimately seen reason and imprinted on Womanizer Smurf instead.

"Show some fucking respect and humanity and quit talking about Lena like her being murdered is no more than some big inconvenience for you!" I raged at Jared. "You have no feelings and no consideration for anyone but yourself."

Rather than have the good manners to look contrite, if anything Jared appeared even more incensed. "Oh, _I'm_ the selfish one?" he sneered. "You don't know the first thing about me, much less what I'm fucking feeling," he spat. "It's _your_ fault she's dead, you know? You're the spoiled little rich bitch being stalked by a psycho who insisted upon all of us traipsing up to Seattle despite the obvious danger."

_Ouch_…that one cut deep. "You're an ASSHOLE!" I screamed the first thing that came to mind, dislodging Carlisle's scalpel as I pushed up onto my elbows to face off with Jared. "You never deserved the adoration of someone as awesome as Kim. And I feel sorry for Maggie for having the bad fortune of being your imprint!"

Jared's face flushed red and his arms and chest began to vibrate.

_Shit, I'd seen Quil react that way before._

"Emmett, Alice, grab hold of him!" the dead Doc instructed, just as Jared's irises swirled yellow.

Fortunately Vanity Smurf chose that moment to come strutting into the hotel suite, puffing his chest out and beaming like a damn peacock. "We're cool downstairs, guys, I think they bought it," Jacob informed the room importantly.

"Dude, your buddy's about to blow fur," the buff vamp Emmett announced.

Jacob quickly assessed the situation and made a beeline for Jared, pushing against his chest as Emmett and Alice assisted in shouldering him back and away from me.

"Whoa… _whoa_! What the fuck's happening in here?" Jacob reproached. "Calm down, man, Alison's your pack mate's imprint."

"That doesn't change the fact she's a bitch!" Jared countered, the angry veins in his flushed forehead growing and twitching to life in a way that was almost comical. "It's _her_ fault Lena's dead, not mine!" he insisted cruelly again.

"Aw fuck!" Jacob swore, his eyes widening. "For real? The asshole vamp who got away killed Lena? Oh, my God, I _knew _it!" he exclaimed excitedly. "I just _knew_ Lena was gonna be a Redshirt."

"What?" Jared grumbled, his trembling subsiding somewhat as anger became replaced by confusion and frustration. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"A _Redshirt_. You know, like on the original Star Trek series?" Jacob explained eagerly. "I mean, I couldn't help but wonder on the ride up in the elevator earlier tonight if we might just as well have been beaming _Ensign Lena_ to her certain demise."

"Oh, what the fuck, Jacob?" Jared exclaimed, throwing his hands up in defeat.

"Jared, it's _always_ the unknown extra actor wearing a red Star Fleet shirt who gets killed when beamed down for an expedition," Jacob persisted. "Typically an Ensign ranking officer."

"Jesus, just fucking speak English!" Jared roared. "Do I look like some goddamn Trekkie? Either make a point I can understand already or shut the fuck up."

"Mm…_yes_…yes, of course," a nasally male voice droned from just inside the doorway of the hotel suite. Edward, the lanky, brooding dead guy who'd previously been sent to scout out the best pathway in which to remove Lena from the hotel without invoking undue curiosity and suspicion, suddenly sauntered unexpectedly into the room and casually inserted himself directly into the conversation. _What? Where the fuck had that dude come from?_

He proceeded to flip his untidy, bedhead hair from his forehead and pinch the bridge of his nose in contemplation as Jared's head shook slowly from side to side in disbelief and exasperation.

"Hmm…yes," he announced finally with authority, "I'm afraid Jacob's made quite an astute observation, my friends."

There was a pregnant pause before Alice had the good grace to shriek, "What the flipping fuck, Edward?" She appeared to be just as baffled as the rest of us were by this bizarre Trekkie conversation. It made me hate her just a tiny bit less.

"Alice, if you'll recall, you never much liked watching Star Trek," Edward went on to explain superciliously, "which is why the reference appears to be lost on you. The main characters' outfits were mostly the same in every episode, and the only color variation between the uniforms consisted of a severely limited variety of the colors red, gold and blue. Naturally a show with such restricted wardrobe possibilities held no interest for you."

While Alice nodded in understanding, apparently appeased by that absurd explanation, Jared rolled his eyes and looked about ready to blow out a few of those flexing veins in his forehead. Carlisle chose that moment to announce cheerily to the room that he had finished fishing all of the glass shards from my exposed rear.

_Mother of Buddha, what was wrong with everyone here?_ A woman was dead, for crying out loud! _A super hot woman who had given me a great orgasm only hours ago no less! _I felt my blood begin to boil.

"Chrissakes, Edward!" Jacob scorned, shaking his head and glaring at the sullen, wannabe _James Dean_ vampire. "How fucking dare you?"

_Finally! _Well, at least it seemed Vanity Smurf had located a conscience and a moral compass. I exhaled through my mounting anger and waited with glee for Jacob, Quil's best friend, first cousin and future tribe chief, to chastise the the others for acting like total asshats.

"How _dare_ you waltz in and insinuate yourself into a Star Trek conversation you clearly eavesdropped your way into my mind for in order to gain unfair insight through my knowledge of Redshirts and Ensigns!" Jacob scathingly accused. "I'd bet my Rabbit's new carburetor you've seen all of about three original Star Trek series episodes in your sorry non-life," he challenged haughtily, sucking in his cheeks and clenching his jaw as he proceeded to squint-stare Edward down to size.

I felt my own jaw slip gracelessly open. Holy fuck, what were these shallow bastards even talking about? It was like being in a piss-poorly scripted _One Tree Hill_ episode, only with vampires and werewolves.

_For pity's sake a woman was fucking dead!_ I'd narrowly escaped being killed myself by that demon spawn Felix, and my sweet Quil was in the other room still knocked unconscious in wolf form from a tranq dart because these annoying, heartless blood-drinkers had feared _**he**_ might be a danger to me or other humans in the hotel in his enraged, "overprotective of his imprint" state.

Just when I thought things couldn't get any stranger or more infuriating, Edward turned his beady, amber eyes at me, arching one furrowed brow in confusion and remarking, "Hmph…I don't know that show…_One Tree Hill _is it?

Before I could muster a flabbergasted response, Jacob threw his hand palm up in my direction and ordered me to immediately stop thinking about anything and everything, warning me that Edward was a "mind-raper"…describing it as his "vampire talent".

Emmett guffawed at this from across the room. But Edward merely countered the indictment with an insouciant, "What's your fucking problem, Black?" although the anxious hair-flip that accompanied his words seemed to belie his _Rebel Without a Cause_ display of indifference.

"_You're_ my problem, Cullen!" Jacob then retorted, stepping to and jabbing his pointer finger into Edward's chest. "In fact…you're everyone's fucking problem!"

My mind reeled as Edward seemed somehow genuinely hurt by this most idiotic of declarations on Jacob's part. I tried to keep up as he proceeded to protest vehemently, beseeching to Jacob that they put aside their differences and previous rivalry over Bella and view one another as allies in this fight against Felix. Fleetingly it occurred to me I might have seen a similar scene played out once upon a time before in a locker room between Maverick and Iceman in _Top Gun_…maybe over that other pilot that quit the team? _Cougar?_...o_r was he simply called Coug?_

I wasn't afforded time enough to recall though as all too soon it seemed every freak in the room was arguing at once and the full horror and stress of the night's events came crashing down on my psyche. So when Alice flitted over to my side and kindly pointed out the fact I was now standing butt-naked in front of five guys and offered to loan me a pair of her La Perla undies like the new money vampire trash she so clearly was, it seemed a perfectly rational response to attempt to bitch-slap the unnatural life out of her. That was, up until the moment my palm met her hard-as-marble cheekbone and it felt like every single bone in my right hand splintered apart upon contact. _No pillow could have smothered the bloodcurdling scream wrenched from my lungs then!_

Because that was also the exact moment things inside the Presidential suite of the Seattle Four Seasons got _really_ weird.

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Kim's POV)<strong>_

"You remember anything that happened earlier tonight, baby?" Paul gently repeated the question over the noise of the rain that had begun to fall softly atop the roof of the Escalade as we continued onward to Seattle. I'd heard it the first time when Susie had asked it from the front seat. "Do you remember taking out those vamps?" he prodded, his fingers gingerly angling my face up to his as he studied me in the dark with an inscrutable expression that made my heart skip and then speed up.

I shook my head quickly before resting it back against Paul's chest. Unspoken lies came too easily for me sometimes, particularly when self-preservation was at stake.

I pretended to doze, and though surely Paul, if not Sensai, could tell my state of consciousness was in fact otherwise, he let it be and didn't out me. They were talking about my mother now. I caught snippets of what was said…or maybe I absorbed every spoken word.

I played with their whispered words inside my head, rolling terms like "suicide" around until it felt uncomfortably familiar and altogether real. Uncle Todd had been the first to use it, then Susie, and finally Paul.

Eventually their murmured conversation became interspersed with the lyrics from The Beatles' song, "I Am The Walrus" playing on repeat inside my head. That song had never made any sense and yet it's lyrics had always resonated an odd measure of truth for me that I found irrationally comforting. I once read Lennon had admitted the lyrics weren't intended to make any sense at all, that that was actually the point. Clearly no one sits on a cornflake waiting for a van to come, or intends to get a tan standing in the English rain. And why would anyone be kicking Edgar Allan Poe to begin with?

But it was the first line, _"I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together"_, which distinctly spoke to me now. As did the main refrain, _"I am the eggman, they are the eggmen. I am the walrus." _

Maybe there was in fact a small, if unintentional, universal message to listeners within those lines about commonality and interconnection. But for me, they spoke of intra-connection. For in truth, upon awakening, I _had_ remembered the vampire attack. And now I'd remembered other things as well. Things I shouldn't have. Things that were better left forgotten. I remembered them as if they were _my_ memories, even though I was sure they couldn't belong to me. Surely they belonged to the other Kims. Strangely I didn't feel the other Kims' presence at all though now. Which puzzled me since if I was reading clearly into their memories, wouldn't that mean their personas were readily present as well?

I should've been relieved by their absence, and yet I felt hollow…empty without them. And facing their memories without their personalities to share in the absorption of them and the processing of what I now knew was to come left me feeling morbidly all alone in the world, despite however physically intertwined I lay with Paul now.

_I'd never wanted this_. I'd wanted to be a princess, not a vicious killer dog. I didn't like blood, didn't like the smell of vampire.

But mostly, I didn't want to die. Not now. Not yet.

I was a coward. And I knew all too soon I would have to die to save Alison. I was running out of time.

We both couldn't live. That had been the prophecy…the legacy bequeathed me by a dying lunatic. Even now I still didn't know for sure if I could do it.

I didn't know whether I would ultimately be brave enough to die for Alison, or coward enough to live with the knowledge I'd allowed her to die.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN – Happy holidays and thank you for reading!**_

_**Next up, things inside the presidential suite get weird, providing insight into Felix's fixation with Alison. Paul confronts Kim about holding out on him and major spar-fucking ensues in Chapter 31, inappropriately and yet aptly named, "A time to Spar-fuck". **_


	31. Chapter 31 - A Time to Spar-bleep, Pt 1

_**A/N – Okay, okay, I can't handle these sad messages and reviews any longer, so I'm posting an uber-obnoxious half-chap as tragically this is all I can upload right now. :o This is somewhat unedited, but Part 2 was missing some dialogue parts, soo... *shrugs***_

_**Please know I am not abandoning this story! **_

_**I realize it may not seem like it to readers lately, but I'm truly doing my best to write whenever I can steal the time (in the middle of the night). **_

_**Picking up where we left off in Ch 30 from Alison's POV in the Seattle Four Seasons…**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Alison's POV)<strong>_

…all too soon it seemed every freak in the room was arguing at once and the full horror and stress of the night's events came crashing down on my psyche. So when Alice flitted over to my side and kindly pointed out the fact I was now standing butt-naked in front of five guys and offered to loan me a pair of her La Perla undies like the new money vampire trash she so clearly was, it seemed a perfectly rational response to attempt to bitch-slap the unnatural life out of her. That was, up until the moment my palm met her hard-as-marble cheekbone and it felt like every single bone in my right hand splintered apart upon contact. _No pillow could have smothered the bloodcurdling scream wrenched from my lungs then!_

Because that was also the exact moment things inside the Presidential suite of the Seattle Four Seasons got _really_ weird.

As I felt the bones in my hand shatter against Tinkerbitch's iron cheek, a rush of angry energy suffused me, running from the tips of my toenails up to the hair follicles atop my head. It felt as if it swirled and tunneled back and forth between my ribs like a tornado, flipping my stomach over and skipping my heart's rhythm until it beat an unnatural staccato that I could hear louder than my own earsplitting scream.

I'll never understand why, but the next salient thought in that moment which rang truer than any Westside Jewish boy's propensity to study vagina, was that inside of this vortex of raw, primal anger beat the heart energy of my own inner animal. And just like Quil's, and Kim's, and my brother's inner beasts, _mine didn't want to be contained either_.

Yet mine was trapped. _Caged._ It had no way out. In that moment of rage I knew I would have gladly ripped my own skin off if only it would've been enough to release my inner beast. _But let's face it…I'd never been the type lucky enough to get cursed with simply a "normal" supernatural affliction._

And so it was that _my_ inner monster only seemed to be capable of churning and roiling in its confined fury until, like a resentful twister unable to disperse its own madness, it whirled with enough internal force and velocity to suck into it's own tunnel of chaos, whatever other supernatural energy sources were within reach.

It might've been the sudden barrage of seemingly useless psychic information hitting me that tipped me off to this whacky hypothesis I'd just devised. Or the fact that the bones in my hand felt like they were already knitting together and healing faster than even my ass cheeks had done. Or maybe the glass-shattering shriek of terror from Tinkerbell vamp as she clutched her head and announced in a panic that she'd lost her "vision".

Then again, perhaps it was the moment I realized she hadn't announced anything at all…_at least not aloud_, and that I had only "heard" her think it inside of her head; the same way that I was now hearing Edward freaking out about losing his "hearing" inside of his own head. I noted Jared's thoughts were consumed with wanting to throttle me for screaming again and very likely drawing more unwanted attention to our little hotel suite of horrors.

_Holy Hello fucking Kitty! _Now I was hearing and seeing things in addition to entertaining delusions of supernatural grandeur. _Maybe all that herb was finally taking effect after all._

"Carlisle," Edward's incredulous eyes fixed upon mine, "she's an energy shifter!" he boomed aloud in accusation to the room.

_A what? _

_**Me? **_

My broken-but-strangely-almost-healed hand flew to my naked breast in confusion just as a deeply awed, "_Whoa_, no fucking way!" burst from Emmett's massive chest.

I watched Carlisle's expression bleed from confusion to terror to some deeper comprehension as I heard his thoughts quickly wrestling with the concept, recounting the legends he'd read and the stories he'd learned from other vampires over the years.

At the same time, visions of random events continued to assault my mind's eye. Some involving people I knew, others unfamiliar. I held my breath as I caught a flash of my mom and dad loading supplies into the back of a black Escalade somewhere in the middle of a dark and deserted looking forest.

"_I will fucking shred the next person who makes a Trekkie reference!"_ Jared thought loudly to himself, rudely interrupting the all too brief glimpse of my parents.

A new vision of my brother Bennett sprinting at breakneck speed in wolf form was disrupted next as Tinkervamp bemoaned inside her head, _"No! It can't be!"_ followed by a very audible, very whiny, "Carlisle? Do something!" spoken aloud to the room in her panicky trill. "My visions…this can't be? Stop her!" she insisted. "Make her change it back!"

I began to see recurring, albeit brief flashes of a lethally irate redheaded female vampire, intermixed with Kim's face, and then Leah's. _Oh, my Pepto-Bismol!_ None of it really made any sense, yet it still made my stomach twist with fear for my cousin and my new friend. Between the racing, bizarre visions, the mind interloping, and Alice's constant bellyaching, it was almost enough to make anyone hurl. I swayed on my feet as I clutched my spinning head.

"Nobody touch her!" Carlisle warned the room.

I searched out Carlisle. His mind seemed to go quiet then, though I caught that he was rummaging through pictures of mutated DNA structures in his head as he regarded me. _Nice_.

"_A fine ass and a smokin' supernatural talent," _I heard Buff vamp Emmett ponder appreciatively about me, followed by, _"Who knew dingus Felix had any sense… much less good taste in human pussy…" _

_Hey! _I shot Buff boy a baleful look. He chuckled and winked, smacking Edward on the shoulder and declaring, "This is fuckin' awesome! Hey, tiny hot girl, throw me Ed's mind-raper talent, 'kay?" he beseeched merrily.

"_What are we talking about?" _Jacob's mind wondered in confusion. _"Boy I'd give anything for hair that falls like that,"_ he thought distractedly, daring to steal covetous glances at Edward's floppy locks, now that the rest of the room had been adequately preoccupied by the _"girlfight slap"_ as Vanity Smurf's mind had categorized it. _"Mine would never…"_ he lamented, _"although…maybe…maybe it's just a special, expensive product he uses?"_ he mused hopefully.

_Oh. My. Buddha_. My head hurt!

"_Don't think don't think don't think don't think don't think,"_ I heard Edweird thinking loudly to himself, over and over again, his face scrunched up in concentration like he was trying not to blow the biggest fart of his life.

_Please, as if I gave two shits what went on in his head?_

"Would someone please explain what the fuck is going on now?" Jared groaned in exasperation to the room. He threw his hands up in defeat. "_Anyone?_"

"She's stolen our talents!" Alice charged childishly by way of explanation. She raised an over-plucked brow and looked squarely at me, thinking clearly, _"Ungrateful bitch!" _

Before I could tell her to fucking lick me, Jared released an exaggerated sigh. "Okay, that's it," he continued with authority, rubbing his weary temple, "thank you for your help saving Alison's ass," he turned and nodded at Carlisle, clarifying, "_twice-_that is. But now I'm going to have to ask all of you to leave." He paused to survey the veggie vamps still in the room. "I mean…_like right now_."

"My friend, it's not so simple-" Carlisle began, only to be cut off by Alice and Edward squawking and bitching at once, attempting to explain the situation to Jared and Jacob, both of whom were most assuredly still lost as to what was happening. _Hell, even I didn't understand what the fuck was up. _

I did my best to tune them out and stay focused inwardly though as more images of Bennett surfaced. Again, he was in wolf form. I didn't know how I knew the big black wolf I saw was Bennett, I just did. And I knew he was approaching LaPush. My stomach dropped as I saw flashes of him battling two vampires. Then, unwittingly, I screamed bloody murder as the scene changed abruptly and he was barging into a modest home on the reservation, leaping through the air and taking the head straight off of a vampire from behind right as it was about to attack some awkwardly tall girl in _Bugs Bunny_ pj's. The visions were happening so fast I thought I might be sick.

_What was I even seeing?_ _Would Bennett be okay? Why would anyone older than five even be wearing those pj's? _

An internal roar from Jared's mind interrupted whatever was to happen to Bennett next as Grouchy Smurf flew over and angrily clamped his palm over my mouth for the second time that evening. "Fuck, Alison, how many times do I have to tell you to shut the hell up?"

_Damnit!_ It was so hard trying to hold focus on the visions while everyone persisted in jabbering at me both aloud and internally. _No wonder Alice and Edward were so strange and creepy! Who wouldn't be dealing with this shit?_ Jared's antics proved to be the last straw. I yanked at his palm over my face with all the strength I had—which oddly enough, as it turned out, was now quite a lot!

To my delight Jared's eyes widened in astonishment as his hand flew away from my mouth with ease. "Ugh! You messed up my vision of Bennett, asshole," I scolded, squeezing his hand that was still in mine as hard as I could before tossing it back at his chest, for no real reason except maybe an unconscious desire to cause him some small measure of the discomfort I was experiencing. His mouth gaped open. Then he winced in apparent agony and clutched both of his hands to his chest. _Oh, good grief, I hadn't squeezed his hand that hard! _I was completely flabbergasted when he proceeded to drop his head and fall dramatically to his knees. _Lordy, what a fucking baby!_

"**SHUT UP, SHUT UP!**" he roared, lifting startled, half-crazed eyes to mine. "S'not my hand, you fucking witch," he spat, "it's my head! I'm hearing things…" he smothered his ears with both hands, "hearing _**everything**_!"

"No no no…" Edward pouted, stomping his foot like a toddler, "it's _my_ talent, give it back to _me_!" he insisted, moving forward faster than I could blink and grabbing my hands in between his cold ones.

"Edward, release her!" Carlisle cautioned severely. "It's more complicated than touch alone."

To my surprise Edward dropped my hands and backed away from me like I was day old Hepatitis C blood. Emmett barked out a laugh, protesting cheerily, "Hey, you were supposed to give Ed's powers to me, sweet cheeks!"

_Praise mother Buddha!_ I'd ceased hearing everyone's thoughts. Well that was a blessed fucking relief! The visions, however, were still whizzing at me. Fortunately, I had a markedly easier time blocking out everyone's bitching and arguing, as at least now it wasn't also happening _inside_ my head.

I clamped my hands over my ears as Grouchy Smurf, who didn't seem to appreciate his newfound powers of one-sided telepathy very much, persisted in bellowing at me to switch things back and stop fucking up everyone's lives. In my periphery, a laughing Emmett and a perplexed Vanity Smurf were busy restraining him. I didn't even have to look to know those angry veins in Jared's forehead were surely on the verge of popping.

Carlisle somehow inconspicuously excused himself, mumbling something or other about research and needing to make a few calls. This left Edward and Alice to antagonize me as they commenced spewing various orders and conflicting instructions as to how they presumed I should be able to harness and control what they kept referring to as my "energy shifting". Just as they were directing me to focus my energy ball or some shit, another scene involving that scary redheaded vamp surfaced. My heart leapt to my throat at painfully vivid images of the redhead psycho throwing a human Kim through a bay glass window! These quickly gave way to ones of Leah wielding a cleaver and standing between the redhead and what appeared to be that unfortunately accident-prone girl, Bella, whom I'd unintentionally tasered the other day. _Surely they were both as good as dead! _

I cringed and held my breath, awaiting the next dire hallucination, when amid the chaos in the room and my own personal nightmares come to life, Lionel Richie's_ "Say you, Say me" _began blaring from somewhere inside Jared's cargo pants, effectively severing my seer connection to those last horrendous revelations. _Fuck fuck fuck!_

Grouchy Smurf swore, then fished his cell phone from his pocket, blurting, "Mags, I can't talk right now!" rather rudely into the receiver. _He was such a dick._

_And seriously? _He'd picked _that _as his imprint's ringtone?

**"Concentrate, damnit!"** Edward scolded directly in my left ear, drawing my attention back to the other brand of asshole in the room. Alice was also still hovering, rambling in her chipmunk pitch and flapping her arms about as if the action would somehow help unwind the situation at hand.

"How can I concentrate with Tinkerbell vamp up my ass invading my personal space?" I shouted back at him. And then to Alice, "You're not my type, bitch!"

Jared groaned loudly into the receiver_._ "There's no time, Maggie! We're all fine, just go back to bed."

With Grouchy pants otherwise distracted, I took the opportunity to try and wave Jacob over from his post at Jared's side, where he'd previously been engaged holding Jared off from killing me.

"Fuck, hang on, Maggie!" Jared ordered curtly, then covered the cell receiver and demanded, "Fucking Christ, could everyone just shut up and STOP THINKING so fucking much for ten damn seconds?"

_Ha! This was indeed rich! _While Edward pinched the bridge of his nose and proceeded to make his fart suppression faces, Jacob pretended not to stare enviously at the Rebel Without a Vampire Talent's strategically tousled mane. Alice pursed her lips but persisted in emitting irritating squeaking noises from the back of her throat…no doubt to ensure no one forgot for a millisecond how grating her personality was. Somehow I was able to snare Jacob's attention away from Edweird's hair long enough to whisper-shout, "Please, _please_ check on Quil?" He nodded and dashed off to the adjoining room.

"Maggie, I'm sorry you were worried but I really can't talk!" Jared abruptly informed his poor imprint. "I've got a dead girl and a hotel room full of motherfucking Cullens," he complained, "and now I'm hearing everyone's goddamn thoughts inside my head so please, just go back to bed, alright?" he patronized.

_Way to reassure your imprint! Seriously, how could that poor girl even stand him? _Imprint or no, I couldn't imagine how he ever expected to pork her displaying that sort of attitude.

Belatedly I recalled that he could presently hear everyone's thoughts when he turned and glared at me with murderous yellow irises._Oops!_

His eyes never left mine as he growled, "I'll call you tomorrow," and promptly hung up on his imprint.

"_You!_" he seethed, taking a menacing step towards me.

Before I could flay him for being a shitty imprinter and an even shittier _Protector_, visions of my brother and some naked, lanky girl assailed me from out of nowhere. _Oh, gross!_

"Oh, my god!" I blurted in disgust, "Ewe…_**EWE**__!_ Stop…no…ugh…**STOP!**" I squeezed my eyes shut and yanked at my hair, hoping beyond hope to vanquish these revolting visions. _I did __**not**__ need to see this!_

It wasn't as if I didn't already know my brother scored a ton of tail, but it was one thing to know about it and quite another to _**see**_ it! And who was that curly-haired, skinny girl anyway? She certainly didn't look like his usual type. Her tits were too small…not to mention _real_.

"Make it stop!" I wailed in misery, hopping up and down as if to leap out of my own skin-or _head_, preferably.

"What is it you're seeing?" Tinkerbell pried.

"Focus your energy ball!" Eddie chided.

"Fuck off! I'm gonna be sick," I squealed, turning myself in futile circles and clutching my stomach as my treacherous mind revealed Bennett flipping the whippet-sized, bleary-eyed girl onto all fours and preparing to pound her from behind. **EWE!** _I was so gonna blow chunks._

"_No!_ Make it stop! _Please_ just make it stop!" I begged.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," a deep, reassuring voice crooned above me as big cold arms banded around my naked torso from behind, startling me anew and causing goosebumps to blanket my flesh just as the girl in my vision went cross-eyed and screamed, "Bennett!"

Oh.

My.

_God!_

_Maggie?_

**Maggie!** Grouchy Smurf's Maggie? Why? _How-?_

"Shh...calm down, Tiny," Buff Vamp soothed, folding me into his tee-shirt clad cold chest. "We really gotta keep the noise… down… ooh, _hel_-_lo_…" he trailed off strangely as my final horrendous hallucination faded blissfully to black. I released a huge sigh of relief and sent prayers of thanks to Buddha and Taha Aki. I probably would've collapsed into the floor if Emmett had not been holding me upright as at that moment it felt like I'd just run three marathons in a row and had barely the strength left to remain conscious. I sagged heavily against him as energy drained rapidly from my limbs.

"_Really_, Alice?" Emmett scoffed suddenly. _This_ is your vampire talent?"

"Uhh…guys…?" Edward interjected anxiously, clearing his throat.

"Seriously," Emmett persisted, "you're like a peeping fucking Tom!" Just as I was pondering what Emmett meant by that remark, as well as how totally freaky it was he had no heartbeat and that I happened to be stark naked in his frigid, dead embrace, I heard the distinct sound of fabric shredding, followed by a heartrending howl of the wounded that could've awoken the dead.

_Oh, shit!_ I'd been so absorbed in my own sisterly horror that I'd forgotten about Jared still being in possession of vampiric mind-raper skills. _Fuck! _That howl said it all_…he knew!_ And if his howl hadn't said it, the deafening crashing noises as Jared barreled straight through two walls on his way out of the Presidential suite certainly did.

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Kim's POV)<strong>_

"No, not like that. You've almost got it. You've just gotta dig deeper, Kong," Sensai urged. He'd been trying unsuccessfully to teach me to phase for what felt like at least 40 minutes now. We'd pulled off at a creepy truck stop and after relieving our bladders and filling our bellies, Sensai and I had wandered into the nearby wood while Paul, Aunt Susie, and Uncle Todd were busy attempting to check in with pack, family and the tribal council, respectively.

I felt completely stupid now, standing in the woods naked save for a UCLA Bruins _Slanket_. But as Sensai had reasoned, it was less awkward than being totally naked and more sensible than shredding my clothes unnecessarily.

"Maybe try growling again…from the diaphragm this time," Sensai prompted.

I rolled my eyes. "I can't do this," I huffed. "I'm not angry, Sensai. I just feel like a jackass."

Sensai pushed off the tree he'd been leaning against and began to circle me, studying my facial features intently in the fading moonlight. "Kim," he sighed, "I'm going to let you in on a little secret," he paused briefly before revealing, "I'm a method actor." He circled once more, letting that announcement sink in before explaining, "For the non-thespian or layperson, that means I like to draw from my own memory bank, my own personal catalogue of situations and subsequent emotional responses I've had over the years."

I shook my head and willed my eyes not to roll skyward. "Let's just go back. They're probably ready to go and wondering where we are."

"Kim," he entreated, tenting his fingers beneath his chin and coming to stand directly in front of me, "just focus on something that makes you more mad than anything else. It's that easy!" Sensai's perpetually jovial nature and limitless patience was really beginning to unnerve me.

"Not for me it isn't," I snapped, my words sounding more caustic than I'd intended them to come out. I had to remind myself that none of this was Sensai's fault.

Sensai grinned his gleaming _Crest_ commercial best back at me despite my sour demeanor. "_C'mon_, Kim Kong, I know you can do it!" he enthused playfully. I failed to suppress a resentful eye-roll at his use of Bennett's nickname for me. It didn't dissuade him from pressing, "What about the first time you phased? Think about what set you off that very first time and caused you to fursplode."

I felt my cheeks heat up instantly. _Really?_ I could've slapped myself for such a stupid reaction. _Who blushed at the memory of getting angry?_ Fuck, those Spirit Warriors had really gotten it wrong this time. I was the ultimate dopey shape-shifter.

As I willed the blood to stop rushing to my hairline, Sensai curiously cocked his head to the side. "Now, I don't know all the details," his eyes glinted mischievously, "but I seem to recall from seeing Bennett's memories that it was something or other that overbearing, douche boyfriend of yours did to upset you that day you phased and shredded a vamp all by yourself, right?"

"I got it from here, method boy," Paul's rich voice assailed my ears the same moment his breath fanned the top of my head and his scent washed over me, his arms encircling me from behind before I had time to jump in reaction to his sudden nearness.

"Fuck!" I gasped. _What was wrong with me?_ I hadn't even heard his approach.

"Sorry," he kissed the top of my head and gave me a reassuring squeeze. "You're just exhausted, baby," he muttered, as if in answer to my own inner thoughts.

_Goddamnit, I really should have heard his approach!_ And fuck me, but exhausted or no, there didn't seem to be a thing wrong with my supernatural sense of smell. Why did Paul have to smell so damn fuckable right when I was otherwise completely confused, distraught and yet somehow just beginning to feel more blissfully numb than I'd felt since this whole nightmare began? I turned my head up and back to better breathe him in, and was rewarded with another comforting squeeze from the warm, heavy arms wound around my shoulders, crossed securely over my chest, anchoring my back easily against his immovable chest. Amid all my conflicting emotions, I suddenly wanted to purr in contentment. By the time my eyes reached his to find him smirking down at me, I was practically giddy with his heady scent. He gave me a playful wink, whispering, "Nice slanket."

I giggled a little longer than necessary at his quip, drunk as I was feeling now from his musk and proximity. His smirk gave way to a bemused chuckle that almost, but didn't quite breach the hardness in his eyes.

_Wait a minute… _

_What? _

"What's wrong?" As soon as I croaked the question I noted there was an olfactory element beyond his heavenly scent that I'd overlooked before as I inhaled just a hint of…_anxiety _maybe? _Anger_…perhaps? And…_determination_. Yes, definitely determination.

_Shitfire_.

"You're needed back at the van, Sensai," he stated flatly. "Now." It was an order.

"What about-?" Sensai began.

"Kim and I won't be riding with you the rest of the way." The words came out cold and clipped, his eyes never leaving mine as he answered Sensai's half-spoken question.

"But-"

"_**Leave**_, Sensai," he enunciated through gritted teeth.

_Oh, great!_ Something was definitely wrong. I could feel the barely suppressed rage rolling off of him now.

"_Paul_," I admonished, "-don't understand," I sputtered stupidly. When I felt his arms tighten almost painfully around me as I casually tried to draw away, I knew he'd purposely meant to sneak up on me before. _Sonofabitch!_ At the same moment Sensai took a step forward, Paul growled a warning so intense I felt it vibrate up the length of my spine and back down again, giving me chills.

"Don't fucking tempt me, Sensai," he cautioned, his voice sounding unnaturally deep and authoritative…_even for Paul_.

In spite of my total confusion and sudden sense of panic as to what the deuce was going on now, I felt my stomach flip in excitement and my lesser organ begin to thrum its approval at the timbre of Paul's Alpha tone. _Oh, of all the crazy responses I should have right now._

Sensai moved no closer but growled right back, causing Paul to unleash a feral snarl I could've sworn caused my ovaries to clench.

"This has nothing to do with you, Jazz hands," Paul derided, "but right now I'll take any excuse you wanna give me to wipe the forest floor with your furry hide. You should get outta here before I take your unwanted presence as an invitation."

"Paul, stoppit!" I huffed, sounded oddly short of breath. "What's gotten into you?" My lame, breathy scolding lost any chance of impact as I belatedly realized I'd at some point ceased struggling against Paul's hold and had begun casually grinding my slanket covered hiney against the hard muscles of his upper thighs. _Oh hell!_ I willed my errant ass to desist as I tried to salvage my wits. "S'not like Todd and Susie are just gonna leave without me, you know?" I reasoned crossly. _Hmm…but did I want them to leave without me? If Paul and I were alone in the forest…_

…_Ouch!_ My train of dirty thought was abruptly interrupted by another snarl and a solid thwack as Paul's palm unceremoniously collided against my backside.

"Fucking quit it, Kim!" he growled, jerking me over to his side, where my disobedient ass could do less harm and distraction, I surmised. _What the hell?_

"They _are_ leaving without you!" came Paul's unexpected, and surprisingly angry retort. "They _voted_ in _favor_ of leaving without you," he added scathingly. "But not without Sensai," he sneered at my equally baffled pack-mate, "so fucking get moving before I make you!"

Sensai's eyes darted back and forth between mine and Paul's. He looked completely befuddled. I found myself imploring reassuringly, "Just go, Sensai, I'll be fine," before I could stop myself. I reasoned in my head it was because I didn't want him antagonizing Paul in his current surly state, not because I actually wanted to be alone with Paul when he was acting all annoyingly macho Alpha and all…despite what my ovaries seemed to think.

"Kim?" Sensai bleated, looking torn.

"It's okay, Sensai. Really! I _want_ you to go with Todd and Susie. They need you to protect them," I added sensibly, trying to quell my own anxiety and hurt over Paul's cryptic announcement that my own aunt and uncle had allegedly voted to leave me behind in favor of Sensai's company.

"Aw, Kim-"

"Go!" I pressed. "This is between me and my _imprint_," I emphasized, my lips twitching with delight in spite of my best effort to remain stoic when I felt Paul's body stiffen behind me in reaction. "Imprints can be a touch needy at times," I continued evilly, unable to resist despite Paul's foul mood, "but I'll manage."

"I dunno," Sensai shook his head, a deep scowl etched in his brow as he stared hard at Paul above me. "I don't trust him." He paused, "But I guess I trust you to be able to handle him…so…guess I'll let you two talk while I go find out from Todd if he's telling the truth."

Sensai had barely disappeared through the trees before Paul had whipped me around to face him. I felt my teeth rattle as without warning my back slammed against the trunk of a nearby tree. "Listen to me," his fingers bit into my shoulders, "we don't have time for games or verbal jabs right now." He shook me once, then twice…whether to get my attention or to drive his point home, I wasn't sure, but it was unlike him to be so physically and yet non-sexually aggressive towards me that I found it unsettling.

"We need to get to La Push by mid-morning," he growled. "Do. You. Understand?" His eyes burned into mine. They were gold…and furious. "So we're gonna have to haul major wolf ass as it is to get there in time."

"In time for what?" Sensai asked, having clearly returned before he'd even left.

"Argh, fuck! Will you just get the hell outta here already? You're holding up Todd and Susie and they're freaking the fuck out enough right now as it is!"

"Freaking over what?" Sensai demanded. "What's happening, Paul?"

Yellow eyes flashed in annoyance, but Paul conceded with a sigh, "Look, a major pissing match is about to go down between one of my pack mates and Kim's cousin, Bennett. And as much as I don't like the idea of Kim being anywhere near that scuffle, far less inserting herself in it, we need someone from Bennett's pack in wolf form who can communicate with and calm Bennett's wolf. And…" he paused to swallow, looking strangely nauseous, "if _necessary_…overpower and submit Bennett's wolf."

"**WHAT?!**" I barely recognized the incredulous shriek wrenched from my own larynx. "Are you insane?! I can't overpower Bennett's wolf! I can't even figure out how to **PHASE**, Paul!"

"**IT'S NOT MY CHOICE**!" he thundered, his eyes glowing bright as his entire form began to tremble so much it was starting to blur. "The council voted! I wasn't given a fucking say as to whether it should be you or Sensai to intervene. You're not in my pack, remember?" he spat.

"Hells bells, this is one hot mess!" Sensai exclaimed.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN - Oh, what in the world will Paul do to get Kim fired up enough to phase I wonder? Thanks for reading! **_


	32. Chapter 32 - A Time to Spar-bleep, Pt 2

_**A/N – Say what? Posting again so soon, you ask? **_

_**Well, I had to at least deliver on the bleep part...**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Kim's POV)<strong>_

"Hells bells, this is one hot mess!" Sensai exclaimed, beginning to pace the forest floor. "I mean, what if she can't even phase? Or if you get her to phase but then she can't stay phased?" He stopped pacing and shifted his weight to one hip, tugging anxiously at the back of his neck as he attempted to covertly size Paul up while assessing his options in this situation we were in. I didn't know whether to giggle or cry it was so sweet he was even thinking of taking on Paul on my behalf if necessary.

"No, I should definitely be the one to go," Sensai announced after a beat. "I've been in Bennett's pack longer," he reasoned. "I have the benefit of having been inside his head more than Kim has to know the way he thinks…to understand the underlying emotional complexities that motivate his actions and reactions."

"O-_kaay_," Paul blew out a lungful of air and ran his still trembling palm over his face. He looked so tired. "I dunno what the fuck you just said…but _yeah_…pretty sure I tried to argue those same damn points…more or less…to the counsel. But it didn't matter," he seethed, "they _insisted_ Kim had to be the one to submit Bennett's wolf if necessary!" He mumbled a barely audible, "Fucking ROQ," before punching his fist straight into a tree.

"Hey!" Sensai admonished. "Not like that tree got a vote either. Calm the fuck down." He continued pacing as he remarked flippantly, "Kim, do your part for the environment and give your imprint a blowjob or something. He's wound up tighter than the epidermis of an aging Beverly Hills woman."

Sensai preemptively shushed Paul before he could to growl in affront, and then questioned, "What is it they're pissing over anyhow?"

Paul cocked his head, his black eyes narrowing at Sensai. _I knew that look_. I didn't realize I'd unconsciously taken a tiny step back from Paul until his hand shot out and imprisoned my wrist. He gave me a sidelong look of warning before mumbling, "It's complicated."

"Well?" Sensai persisted with an eye-roll. He was apparently hell bent on pushing Paul's limit. "_You _said we didn't have any time." He crossed his arms over his chest. "So quick give us the dish because I'm not leaving Kong's side."

_Oh, that did it. _

"_Paul_, **no**!" I cried two seconds too late as he yanked me by the arm, sending me flying to the cold ground behind him as a cacophony of tearing fabric, feral growls and snapping jaws quickly drowned out any further protestation I might've made. Beyond my immediate concern, annoyance, and indignation at the sight of their two overgrown, stubborn wolves facing off, I couldn't help but also smart with inadequacy over just how fucking fast and easily both of them had been able to shift when I'd been unable to figure it out for the last hour. _Goddamnit, I would never be any good at this_.

"**Stop it!**" I demanded, awkwardly rising to my feet amidst what were now tangled, cumbersome layers of slanket, in time to see Paul's front claws rake Sensai's wolf's underbelly, causing him to yelp and thrash to the side, affording Paul's wolf just the opening he needed to leap forward with ready jaws and latch onto Sensai's neck.

"_**PAUL!**_" I screamed in horror as I watched his wolf whip his massive muzzle sharply to the side and then back, slamming poor Sensai's grey and white wolf to the ground by his neck like a ragdoll.

Sensai's wolf whimpered and lay motionless on the ground save the quick rise and fall of his chest while Paul's huge grey wolf, who'd clearly had the size and skill advantage in this all too brief massacre, continued to snarl over him and maintain what looked to me to be a rather unnecessarily vicious hold on Sensai's neck.

"Paul, you've made your point," I shrieked, "now stop it and let him go!"

After a few more intimidating growls he seemed to very reluctantly release Sensai's throat, only to snuffle crossly and snap his jaws in warning in my direction. My mouth fell ajar.

Beyond the shock and distress of what I'd just witnessed, it was still with a measure of fascination and awe that I watched Paul's magnificent grey wolf lope smoothly in my direction, shifting form effortlessly into the naked, gorgeously chiseled male specimen that was my imprint. _Damnit, there went my ovaries again_.

"Good god, Paul!" I admonished angrily, shaking off the perpetual lame girl effect he had on me. "What have you done? Is he okay?"

He seemed in no mood to humor me with a response as he grabbed the hem of my slanket and pulled, causing me to stumble backward to the ground as he proceeded to tear off a large strip of fabric. Then he strode back and tossed the fabric over the lower half of Sensai's wolf.

When Sensai shifted human his neck was still bleeding slightly, but he appeared to be healing rapidly and overall, largely undamaged as he arose and wrapped the fabric securely around his midsection.

"Sensai? Are you okay?"

Paul blocked my path before I could rush to my injured pack mate's side. Sensai gave me a sad, apologetic look, but didn't answer. He simply turned and ran back through the wood in the direction of my Aunt and Uncle's Escalade.

I was dumbfounded.

Paul tsked lightly by my side as I watched Sensai's form disappear through the trees. "Sensai _would've_ liked to say goodbye to you," his deep voice supplied arrogantly, "but he _couldn't_."

I turned to find a rather obnoxious, self-satisfied smirk curling his lips.

"What the hell just happened?" I croaked.

"Congratulations," Paul snarked, "you just became Beta of Bennett's pack."

"_What?!_ You mean-?"

"Yup, you're in a pack of two now." He grinned a little evilly.

"How? How could you do that?"

"Easily, actually." His smile fell. "It's the natural order of things. I should've just listened to my wolf's instincts, challenged Bennett and assumed control of his pack yesterday." He appeared to be berating himself for not doing just that.

"But, _Paul_-" I began indignantly, only to find myself at a loss for words when he raised one stern brow challengingly and stepped threateningly closer.

"He _**left**_ you," he raged, "a newly fucking phased wolf! He's obviously neglected to train Sensai, much less school you in basic shifting skills." The truth of his words lashed at me, cutting in more ways than one.

"But what…" I swallowed, "what about Bennett?" I beseeched in a much more conciliatory tone.

"What about him?" he rasped back.

"Bennett…he…he _needs_ Sensai…to…to help him protect Alison…" I stumble stepped backwards as I rambled much the same.

"Stop doing that," he snapped.

I halted my retreat, but failed to cease fidgeting with my torn slanket as he continued his approach.

"Protect Alison?" he laughed humorlessly, his eyes incredulous. "Kim, she slipped out from under his watch and made it all the way to fucking LaPush!" He thwacked a clenched fist against his chest. "_**My **_pack has spent the last 36-some hours defending Alison's life from sadistic vampires while Bennett was too busy searching for some damn smell in the woods."

I winced, nervously shifting my weight from foot to foot and inadvertently shuffling backwards again as Paul's fluidly graceful movements brought his naked form ever closer.

"_Stop_," he ordered tersely just as my back brushed up against a tree trunk. _Fuck, I seemed to have virtually no frickin' sense of my surroundings! _I was no good at this wolf stuff.

"This is about survival, baby," he stated flatly, his edible scent embracing me as he took the final few steps to breach the space between us. "A weak Alpha can get his whole pack killed. And Bennett's weak."

"He's not," I defended hotly, "you don't even know him, Paul,"

He rolled his eyes, casually lifting his arm to the left side of my head and resting his palm against the wide tree trunk behind me. "Kim, several hours from now he's going to need _you_ to protect him from his own reckless stupidity while I hold Jared off from killing him."

"What?!" I shrieked. "Jared? Why would Jared-?"

"Well Kim," he began glibly, bracing his other hand against the tree in the space to my right, so that I was effectively trapped in between his muscled arms, "because wolves can get a little territorial sometimes." His black eyes raked me up and down. I twisted the slanket fabric between my sweaty fingers. "And it just so happens your cousin Bennett decided to follow his fucking nose straight up to LaPush and jump on our imprinting bandwagon." When he scowled I could've sworn I felt tiny stabs of pain straight through my heart. _I physically hurt to see him upset_.

"And by _bandwagon_," he clarified with an embittered chuckle, "I actually mean he jumped your friend Maggie Jenkins. Who, as it turns out, is the pack's most popular imprintee this week."

"Uh-uh…" I breathed after a pause, shaking my head. "_No way_."

"Yes." He nodded emphatically in contradiction when I continued to numbly shake my head. "Apparently," he divulged conversationally, "they've been holed up in the Jenkins' house hittin' it like a pair of dogs in heat for hours now. According to Embry, the whole block reeks of sex… and hymen blood," he added crudely.

I felt like I'd been sucker-punched in the gut. "Why?" I whispered stupidly.

Paul's brow lifted in amusement. "That's rhetorical, right?"

_Damnit but there were so many whys!_ Why would the Spirit Warriors ever allow a double imprint to begin with? What purpose could it possibly serve? Why Maggie? Why Bennett? Why _**Jared**_?!

And why, dear god _why_, did this strange news cause me to feel so strangely torn apart inside and so oddly… left out?

_Don't cry don't cry don't cry…_

"What?" Paul queried mock concernedly. Penetrating eyes canvassed my features. "Have I said something upsetting?"

I understood he was clearly attempting to goad me to the point of explosion, but his irreverence still chafed. I was so emotionally deficit already.

"Was that _really_ necessary what you did to Sensai?"

"Yes," he intoned emotionlessly, leaning in closer so that his forearms were resting against the tree behind me.

"And Maggie?" I blustered hoarsely, "And Bennett? Did you have to be so…_graphic_? And Jared?" I huffed, looking everywhere but his eyes. I'd also begun taking shallow breaths; his scent was too delectable for my own good this close up. "And…and _**Jared**_?!" I repeated stupidly. _Fuck me I was in no position to go head to head with an angry, aggressive Paul Lahote right now._

"_**Yess**_," he hissed again, leaning closer into me while dipping his head so that his nose grazed my temple. Surely he could hear my heart galloping out of control. "We're running out of time, baby," he gritted, "and I'm running short of patience. And _this_," he thrust his pelvis forward, his naked erection bumping briefly against my slanket-covered, lower abdomen, "isn't helping much." I gulped audibly and was rewarded with the first genuine chuckle I'd heard from Paul since all of the tension following Sensai's unwelcome return. My heart felt a little better for hearing it.

"So let's get started with your crash course in phasing and fighting before I change my mind about coming to Bennett's rescue, shirk all my Alpha duties in favor of fucking you against this tree, hmm?"

I nodded absently, not fully processing the meaning of any of the words he'd uttered prior to those about fucking me against the tree. He kissed my forehead and whispered, "I'm gonna give you a head start, baby. Because I love you… and because… because I can't run so fast just yet with this monster wood…'kay?"

I nodded again in accord. _Wait…what were we talking about? _I was robbed of my slanket a split second later. _Huh? _He'd dropped his arms from the tree and had taken a step back, giving me space.

"_Run_," he growled when I raised confused, saucer eyes to his. His dark eyes appeared torn…perhaps contrite. "Run and try your best to phase," he implored. "If my wolf catches you in human form, it's probably gonna hurt worse."

_Wait…wha-?_

"_**Run!**__"_ he ordered again, at a decibel that shook the ground beneath me. "_**Now!**_"

He somersaulted backwards and was morphing into his giant, snarling wolf form a millisecond later.

_Show-off!_

Paul's ginormous grey wolf roared in my direction, his yellow eyes narrowing at me. Then he bared his teeth and snapped his jaws.

_I bolted. _

I didn't think, I just ran. I'd no clue exactly where I was going as the faintest shards of daylight began to break through the trees, speckling the forest floor with tiny slivers of light. He'd told me to phase, but I still didn't know how. Though I'd done it before, it'd never been without either one or both of the other Kims present. I wasn't convinced that alone I'd be able to channel enough anger or other adequately strong emotional response necessary to trigger a shift.

True to his word Paul seemed to be giving me a head start as I heard nothing but my own two clumsy feet scampering through leaf litter. With my newly improved human form and supernatural speed, it was easily the fastest I'd ever run in my life. _But not fast enough._

Out of nowhere a four-footed giant beast crashed to the ground just in front of my path, sending dirt and twigs flying at me and knocking me off balance simply from the force at which the earth vibrated. I somehow staggered back up to my feet, only to trip a moment later when a cool, long muzzle butted against the backs of my knees.

As I was once more scrambling to my feet, it was a human Paul who managed to swipe my legs out, knocking the air from my now burning lungs as I fell forward onto my chest. He was on top of me before I could even arise to my hands and knees, flipping me over, pinning my arms and straddling my waist with what felt like almost his full weight, making it virtually impossible for me to suck in desperately needed oxygen.

"This is mount position," he informed casually, not sounding the least bit short of breath. "You wanna pull your elbows down to either side of your ribs as quickly as possible," he instructed.

I wanted to scream. Asshole was holding my arms over my head! How the fuck was I supposed to get my elbows down to my sides when he had my wrists pinned? He was also completely naked and smelled heavenly. It was doing all sorts of conflicting things to my insides.

"_C'mon_, Kimmie, do it quickly!" he growled, scooting slowly forward on his knees until he was straddling my ribs. _Did I mention he was fully naked?_

"The higher up your chest an attacker gets the less options and chance you have of escaping in this position," he advised like he was giving a formal lesson, not straddling me with his naked cock slipping further up between my breasts. "You want to block their knees with your elbows so they can't get higher up than your waist. As long as they're straddling your waistline you can still thrust up with your hips and throw them off you." _He really was exasperating_.

"_Fuck off_, Paul," I ground out with what meager breath I still possessed.

"_**TRY**_, Kim!" he demanded, squeezing my wrists so hard I was sure he'd cut off the blood flow to my fingers.

_I hated him_.

And still I could feel myself growing wetter by the second. I glared up into his gold-flecked irises, wishing his flushed, obnoxiously beautiful, sculpted face could just burst into flames and leave me alone. Yet I deigned to humor him and pulled with all my might in what I knew would result in a vain attempt to free my poorly abused wrists. _It was_.

"Christ, you're not even trying," he berated, "you're stronger than this, Kimmie!"

_Prick!_

_Fine._ I stopped struggling and went limp. _How's that, asshole?_

He growled and gnashed his teeth in anger until soon his whole body shook and he appeared a breath away from phasing. _Good_.

"Kim, _c'mon_! Don't you dare fucking check out on me?"

I studiously avoided looking at him, clenching my jaw and choosing instead to count the leaves on the nearest tree branch while trying to ignore the prickling sensation of my hands going numb from lack of blood flow juxtaposed against the blood rushing freely to hum and throb with awareness at the apex of my legs.

I was on leaf number 23 when I heard him growl and felt him scoot up higher over my chest so that his knees were at my armpits. Then he began to sink his entire weight onto me. Only he didn't do it all at once. It felt as if he was ever so slowly letting his full weight sink into me and crush my lungs.

True panic set in as the pressure steadily increased but yet there always seemed more to come! It was as if a car was slowly being lowered onto my chest. My eyes bugged out and flew to his in alarm.

"S'like a Boa constrictor effect," he remarked a bit smugly, shrugging. "Freaks your opponent out more this way than if you'd just dropped your full weight from the start. Now I get to just relax up here while my opponent proceeds to panic and wear herself out. "

I'd have merrily told him to go fuck himself had I had adequate air supply. To my ultimate annoyance I found that he'd been right and now that he was atop my chest there was little I could do to dislodge him no matter how much I struggled. Any amount of hip thrusting, kicking or thrashing of my legs appeared to be useless at this point.

He began issuing annoying directives to _breathe_, to _focus_, to remain _present_. These were the very last instructions I wanted to hear, much less follow as the more I flailed my lower body in futile attempts to dislodge him, the less oxygen I had available and the more my panic escalated. Black spots began to interfere with my vision of his concerned face hovering far above me.

"Fuck, keep breathing, Kim!" he commanded. "You're stronger than this," he insisted, "don't just give in and shut down. _Please?_" he beseeched, "Fuck, baby, I don't want you to be so afraid all the time."

It was those last pleas that got to me as realization dawned; this wasn't really a fight between Paul and me. I was battling myself. Obviously even Paul knew it.

I was fighting to buck my own fears, disrupt my own pattern of panic, remain present rather than succumb to the ever-increasing temptation to lose myself amid the struggle whenever it became too real…too physically painful or emotionally frightening to endure. I realized I was perpetually inclined to let it be someone else's burden…someone else's conflict. Like popping one of those heavenly blue Tylenols, I wanted to check out whenever sensations of terror threatened to overwhelm my senses.

Maybe needing the other Kims as I did meant that I was in truth the ultimate of cowards. Through fragmentation I found courage. In separation I gained strength. But whatever the reason for their existence, they were mine. The wrong Kimberly who'd become my fighter and personal savior was mine. Her spirit was for me to access even when her persona wasn't fully accessible. All I had to do was embrace her dominant emotions as if they belonged, as if I could _allow_ them to belong as _my_ emotions… even if they weren't.

_Or were they?_

It occurred to me fighting involved neither analysis of past nor much contemplation of future beyond sheer survival. Fighting embraced the space enveloping now. And I'd never much endeavored to live in the now. The closest I'd come to experiencing that strange and exotic place incumbent upon feeling from moment to moment rather than existing to plan or predict events of the next moment, was either when I was sexually enraptured with Paul, or when wrong Kimmie was present.

As paradoxical as it seemed, I realized if I was ever to be as good as wrong Kimmie was as a Protector, I had to first defeat my own flawed instinct that gravitated towards escapism…oddly the self same instinct that manifested wrong Kimmie's existence in the first place.

And as Paul had advised me long ago, I had to stop thinking so damn much. I needed to _feel_.

Fuck it all. _Maybe I needed to fight?_

Though I'd learned from wrong Kimmie's perspective that fighting was largely instinctual, I'd also learned from Paul that instinct often required a little help from strategy. So I ceased thrashing and let my eyes roll back in my head, my eyelids fluttering shut. The instant Paul released my wrists and lifted his weight from my chest, cursing in fear and panic, I clasped both of my freed hands firmly together and swung them up over my head as hard and as fast as I could against Paul's unguarded solar plexus.

His eyes widened first in disbelief, then they registered relief and awe, and finally a measure of amusement mixed with pride, even as he doubled over and clutched his stomach, struggling to catch the breath I'd just stolen from his diaphragm. I noted quickly that when he'd taken his weight from my chest, he'd also moved lower so that he was now straddling my midsection. I wasted no time in bridging my hips up with as much force as my leg muscles possessed, effectively throwing Paul off balance and far enough off of me that I was able to squirm and roll out the rest of the way from underneath him. Immediately I sprang to my feet and darted through the trees.

My small victory was short lived as the grey wolf was upon me in no time, yipping and howling in a manner which seemed markedly more celebratory than predatory as he head-butted and hip-checked me easily to the ground. He proceeded to circle me, snuffling and panting playfully. Whenever I managed to gain my feet I was instantly knocked back to the ground by either a swishing tail or a cool, damp muzzle. I got the distinct sense he was toying with me.

This game continued until I was dizzy and disoriented from his circling, and feeling more than a little lightheaded from breathing in so much of his scent. Finally he nudged me to my feet, backed away and commenced barking and snarling at me. I was confused as to what he meant for me to do next, so I just took off running, figuring it'd be stupid not to chance this brief opportunity he'd afforded me in which to break away.

It was a human Paul who hunted me down within the first 15 yards, tackling me from behind and taking me to the ground, then rolling onto his back with me secured to his front. He had one arm slung over my shoulder and the other under my opposite arm and his palms were clasped securely together where they met at a diagonal across my chest.

"See my hands?" he pointed out. "Gable grip," he supplied succinctly, followed by a grunted, "remember it," as he proceeded to wrap his long, heavy legs around me, threading them between the insides of my thighs and hooking each foot around the outside of each of my ankles so that I was uncomfortably immobilized.

"Right, so now I've got your back in this position," he continued to explain in his irritating instructor mode. Though I was fairly certain I'd learned absolutely nothing of value from his wolf knocking me down a couple hundred times in a row and turning me in stupid circles, I was convinced I preferred the grey wolf as a trainer over human Paul any day.

"Because you're smaller," he continued to drone, "it's actually easier for you to worm your way out in this position, than it would be for me to get out if our situations were reversed and you had my back. Understand?"

I rolled my eyes at the treetops above me. While I found this information mildly interesting and imagined it might potentially be useful at some unknown later date, I found the fact that we were both naked, sweaty and grimy on the forest floor locked in what I suspected was some Greco-Roman wrestling hold as Paul's scent continued to overwhelm my weaker organ presently spread open for the cool morning breeze to tease, to be far, _far_ more diverting!

"_Yes_," I huffed patronizingly in response, "_yes_, Paul!" Paul's smell and sexually frustrating antics had often resulted in me displaying cajones I otherwise never seemed to posses. "I _also_ understand," I intoned sarcastically, "that if you'd just '_gable grip_' me around the waist and scoot me a tad higher up your torso right now, you could at least be doing me from behind while you instruct me on proper sparring and grappling technique and lingo."

I grinned in self-satisfaction as instructor Paul stiffened and became perfectly still beneath me. A giggle unwittingly escaped me when ten seconds had passed and still he held eerily silent and unmoving against me. I was preparing to taunt him further, when finally I felt his chest muscles bunch and shift beneath me. I held my breath as he released his gable grip hold across my chest, lifted his arm that had been draped over my shoulder and repositioned it under my arm the way the other had been, locking his hands once again, although now low and tight across my waist.

"Like this?" he questioned in a deep, dangerously silky whisper that held the promise of punishment…_but also of sex_.

I nodded. He unhooked his feet from around my ankles. Then he pulled his locked palms tighter against my waist, dug his forearms securely into the space beneath my ribs on either side and slid me slowly…ever so slowly, up his muscled torso. I closed my eyes and took shallow, panting breaths as my ass cheeks rolled up over the hard length of muscle at his groin to the taut, smooth wall of his lower abdomen.

"This right?" he diligently checked.

I squeaked an "Mm-hmm" as his hard body shifted and rolled gracefully beneath me and I felt his thick head slide into place at the soaking wet entrance between my spread thighs.

His lips brushed against my temple. "Now what?"

Was it a trick question? _Was he simply baiting me?_ I couldn't help but worry he was just setting me up now in order to further frustrate and anger me to the point of phasing if he ultimately denied what I so badly desired…so clearly _needed _right now…and instead recommenced lecturing me on his Alpha duties and rambling on about fighting techniques.

Instinct and previous experience with Paul told me my next response was crucial. He'd urged and even goaded me into asking him to fuck me enough times in the past to lead me to suspect he favored a little dirty talk and smack talking as much as I'd come to realize I did. _Though I'd never really been much good in the past at delivering on this._

I tried but failed to fight the blush that spread instantaneously across my skin like a brushfire simply at the thought. If by some miracle Paul had failed to notice me flushing three shades of neon pink, I knew for sure he had to have at least _felt _the heat of my rapidly increased blood flow against his skin when I felt him quake with what could only be suppressed laughter beneath me. _Ugh! That did it_.

"Oh, just _fuck me_ already, Paul!" I blurted crossly, jamming my bony elbow down into his annoying, shaking ribcage. "_**Fuck me**__,_" I reiterated provokingly, squirming against his hold as I yanked at the iron gable grip spanning my midsection, "or get the fuck _**off of **__**me**_ so I can go find another big bad wolf in the woods capable of doing it."

His ribcage went still and my eyes widened as a deep growl shivered up my spine. _Holy Taha Aki! _

_I'd totally done it! I'd just talked sex smack to Paul! _

I'd barely begun internally applauding myself for a trash-talking job well done, when Paul rotated and rolled his hips deftly beneath mine, angling his pelvis forward and slamming me down onto his solid, awaiting erection. I practically shouted with glee as his penis made its first deep, congratulatory stroke within me. _It had been way too long._

"This right?" he grunted peevishly in my ear. I fell speechless as he took up a sudden, aggressive pace, propelling me up and down by the waist, his rigid prick dragging in and out of me as the tightening, burning coil in my stomach threatened to explode.

"_Fuck_," I managed to gasp, followed by a barely intelligible, disjointed, "_clitoris_" as I blindly reached trembling fingers down toward my exposed, sorely engorged and heretofore ignored and throbbing for attention, magic button.

Paul abruptly broke gable grip in order to slap my seeking hand away before it could reach its target. He slid his own exacting fingers roughly along my clit as he bucked furiously into me from behind. It was a beautiful mercy, and I found myself screaming apart.

"_Oh, oh…oh…oooh! Fuuck!"_

I melted into a shuddering, boneless, sweaty mess against him as Paul unloaded a sea of snarled profanity at the top of my scalp.

I giggled in spite of my better judgment at his furious, unintelligible tirade of expletives, stretching a languid arm above my head to stroke Paul's cheekbone with loving fingertips. My eyes rolled back at the sensation of his still firm, fully loaded organ twitching pensively inside of my own fluttering depths. I purred.

He growled.

I knew we were far from finished, so I wasn't sure what evil in me prompted the next softly sighed and unabashedly provocative words that fell from my lips as I pouted impishly, "_So_…that _all? _Aren't you gonna fuck me in more fighting positions?"

Less than a few feral growls later I was repositioned on my back, my ass lifted in the air and my legs wrapped tightly around Paul's waist as he drilled deeply and thoroughly into me without preamble. "So much fucking trouble," he groused disconnectedly, followed by "_guard_…in your fucking guard now."

"Mm-_hmff_," I grunted, nodding agreeably, "stay in my guard."

"No time…_never any time_…fucking worried sick…five fucking vampires at once…" he continued to grumble incoherently as he tilted my hips higher until I was practically dangling upside down off the ground while he plunged unrestrainedly into me. It proved to be such a delicious angle I was moaning continuously, my ankles digging and straining against his lower back in effort to draw him faster and more firmly into me.

"Fucking wrong Kimmie…" he fumed, jerking and rotating his hips exactingly to punctuate each profaned, fragmented sentiment, "fucking secrets…stupid fucking notes…"

_Oh, how had I forgotten for even a moment how fun and flippin' hot sex with an irate, jealous, possessive Paul could be?_ It brought back fond memories of our first time inside the coach's office of the boys' locker room at LaPush High and I found myself clamping in climax around him again in record time.

"_Fuck fuck Kimmie fucking fuck fuck!_" he swore nonsensically, gritting his teeth and squeezing his feral eyes shut as his fingers dug indentations into my ass. As I came back down to earth I realized he'd again miraculously held off his own release. Still joined, his hands moved to span my waist and ribs as he unceremoniously drew my limp upper torso to him and our mouths collided in what had to be the roughest, sloppiest, no holds barred kiss we'd ever shared as he continued to swear hotly into my eager mouth. I wound my arms tightly around his neck and bravely took everything he was offering.

It might've been the first time I'd truly ever _tasted_ Paul. _All of him_…his passion, his anger, his fears…his hope. He was suddenly more _human_ to me than I'd ever given him credit for before. Yet still he was even more divine. And I wanted to devour _all of him_, in all his flawed perfection. _And not only with my mouth_.

It took sharply biting his lip to gain his attention and halt his tongue and steady stream of profanity long enough to ask if he'd please instruct me through mount-fucking him next. He fell to his back with a singular groan of pure agony, taking me with him so that I was now straddling his seemingly ever-swelling, ever-twitching erection inside of me in perfect mount position.

"_Fuuck_ _me!"_ he prompted anxiously, squeezing my ass a little harshly, "_**Fast**_, baby," he pleaded as I began tentatively moving over him. I picked up the pace. He growled. "_Harder_," he demanded a moment later, slapping his hand against my thigh so that it stung, but still letting me control the movement. His eyes remained shut, his face scrunched up in picture of torment, and every muscle in his entire body felt strained beneath me as he issued more clipped words of direction and encouragement, in addition to raining several more stinging slaps against my thighs and rear before he finally jerked and folded up into me, pulling me close down to his chest as I enjoyed the glorious satisfaction of feeling him climax deep inside of me at last.

We lay entwined, a sweaty, dirty disaster, breathing heavily in unison on the forest floor as brighter, thicker rays of sunlight began to split through the trees.

"_Fuck_…I…I'm so sorry," I apologized, belatedly recollecting that our present dilemma was far from resolved, "I'm so sorry I can't phase, Paul."

He cupped my face in his hands and peppered it with kisses as I rambled, "It's just been so much…and…and I just don't feel it…I don't feel the wolf…or the anger…or…or any of it without…_her_."

"S'okay," he reassured, "we'll figure something out."

"But we don't have time," I argued, "we have to get to Bennett and Jared before they kill each other."

He shook his head, frowning, "We'll think of something, baby, don't worry, okay?"

"And then there's Lil' Kim!" I babbled on anxiously as Paul's fingers worked diligently to pluck twigs and leaves from my rat's nest of dreadlocked, dirty hair. "Even if I _could_ figure out how to phase without wrong Kimmie's help, what happens if Lil' Kim shows up and freaks out? How can I be a _Protector_ when I have her as a constant liability?"

Paul's fingers stilled. "Wait…what did you just say?"

"Lil' Kim! Suppose she gets scared and then I can't stay phased? Or I just freeze up? Or freak out? She's a liability in all this."

He shook his head minutely as a slow smile bloomed across his bow lips. I could see the wheels turning as his smile split into a boyish grin.

"Paul?"

He jumped to his feet, abruptly pulling me up with him by the hands as his eyes quickly scanned the forest in all directions.

"Fuck…where's the slanket?" he mumbled. "We gotta go back for the slanket."

_Huh?_ I shook my head. "You're not making sense."

"I need you to ride me, so we need the slanket," he supplied absently as he began speed walking in the direction from which we'd started out our little training session, dragging me eagerly behind him.

"Uh…pretty sure… I just did that…" I muttered in confusion as I stumble stepped to keep up, wondering why we'd need a slanket now when we hadn't the first time.

He chuckled, explaining, "Wrong Kim said the same thing about Lil' Kim. Called her our pack's greatest liability…the Achilles' heel," he scoffed, "but she was wrong. So are you."

"Huh?" He was obviously losing it.

"I have a theory about Lil' Kim," he added cryptically, "and a plan."

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Maggie POV)<strong>_

"_Ooh_…aah…yeah…_that_…there… ar_gh_… soo good…" I was speaking in monosyllables again. It seemed to happen every time Bennett put his penis in me. _And by god he had a cock that wouldn't quit!_ We'd been at it all night and all morning, and I really was beyond exhausted at this point. But he just kept going. And _I _wasn't about to tell him to stop.

He gave me a crooked grin as he gazed down at me with a look that was all mischief and X-rated intentions. _Suffice it to say,_ _I was thoroughly dazzled_. He jerked his head to the side, flipping his wavy, disheveled hair from his eyes and grunting, "Over, ma poupette."

I bit my lip and tittered like a moron. Sometime during the night he'd taken to using French terms of endearment after I'd relayed my disappointment and outrage over not getting a several centuries old French vampire as my attacker. He grinned wider at my amusement, grabbing my ankles from around his waist and pulling out just long enough to flip me over and lift my weary, shaky body into position on my hands and knees before sinking swiftly back into home. I shrieked his name and fell to my elbows when his hips thrust forward to impale me deeper just as his hands gripped my shoulders and yanked me back onto his marauding length. _Oh, my stars!_ He was probably going to have to do that wolfie healing lick thing to my cervix at this rate, as he seemed determined to brand every millimeter of my vaginal canal and then some.

"Fuck yeah…" he panted, repeating the action, "that's right…" he shunted into me again, _harder_, "so right… ah _fuuck_… _**louder**_, ma cherie!"

"_**Bennett!**_" I screamed again at his request. He growled his approval. Apparently he really liked it when I shouted his name, because he'd practically been demanding I do so periodically throughout the last hour we'd been fucking.

We'd gone back and forth throughout the night alternating between gentle and more aggressive sex sessions. And it seemed we were clearly headed back into aggressive territory now as his touch and demeanor changed. He growled continuously as his hands groped at my hips and midsection. His fingers felt as if they nearly spanned my entire waist as they encircled me, latching on and digging into the bones atop my pelvis as they maneuvered me with a stern precision I was loathe to question or deny.

Over and over he languidly stroked out of me, rocked shallowly back and forth at his leisure, and then shoved roughly inside me to the hilt in a manner that jarred my sanity and made my insides quiver to the point of torment. I clawed the sheets and chewed my lip. "Ben-_**nett**_," I whined in an embarrassingly sing-song-y manner I would've slapped the likes of Gabby for.

He grunted like some caveman, released my waist and slowly bent forward over me, his warm, muscled stomach and chest climbing gradually up my spine. The skin-to-skin contact felt _ah-mazing_… overwhelming to my already maxed out on high alert senses. _And he was growling!_ Just the sound of it, so deep and low in his chest, was magic. _But the vibration of it_… the vibration of his most feral nature humming softly up and down my spine… _Gah!_ _That stuff was pure crack to my nether region._ While my inner suffragist vagina might've balked, my actual vagina was drooling a chorus of hallelujahs and praise the Spirit Warriors! _ Sometimes a little He-Man Wolf-Man action was damn delicious_.

I shuddered in anticipation as long, dexterous fingers carefully, deliberately lifted my damp, tangled hair away from where it hung by my face and tucked it back behind my ear and over across my shoulder.

"_**Again**_," he husked in my ear, "_like you mean it_." His breath was warm against my cheek, and it smelled so sweet as he leaned onto his left elbow, the action shifting more of his weight onto me and pressing me further down into the mattress.

"Oh, _**Bennett**_!" I wailed dreamily. His left hand snaked beneath to palm my breasts as his right ventured lazily south along my belly towards the juncture between my thighs.

I screamed his name again for good measure when I felt his thick organ, buried deep inside of me, jerk and flex subtly in reaction as his fingers glided softly over my soaked slit. Once… _twice_… then stroking in circles… calmly, evenly… _like a predator honing in for the kill_.

I was panting out his name, on the brink of shattering apart against the touch of his gentle fingers when he licked over my shoulder blade and murmured so softly and casually I thought I'd misheard, "Ma poupette," he huffed, "a couple of male wolves have been surrounding your house for the last hour." He paused to growl slightly, then sucked and nibbled his way from the tip of my shoulder to my neck as I attempted to process his words amid the more pressing sensations within me racing towards their natural crescendo. "It's _really_ starting to irritate my wolf," he complained lightly, "so much so I'm contemplating letting him blemish your pretty neck with his teeth if you can't scream for me like your orgasm depends on it." His lips barely grazed the juncture of my neck and shoulder as gentle fingers retreated and his palm came to mash firmly and unerringly against my clitoris, setting off a panic-induced, fear-induced, hot-beyond-excitedly-hot-induced orgasm that had me screaming his name as if my very _**life**_ depended on it.

Bennett was finishing inside of me just a few forceful, jerky strokes later. Then he hauled me tightly against him and collapsed to his side, taking me down with him so that we lay in a spooning position. As it had done unfailingly throughout the night, his prick remained fascinatingly stiff inside of me while he hugged me close and pressed laughing kisses to the top of my crown.

"Ma petite, you are abso-fucking hysterical," he chuckled. "_Wow!_ I've never terrified a girl to orgasm like that before. If only I'd known…" His laughter continued, shaking the whole bed along with its occupants.

_I was not so amused_.

My cheeks flushed Christmas red. "I was _not _terrified!" I denied hotly.

"Uh-huh," he mocked, nuzzling the damp, tangled mass of hair now clinging to the back of my sweaty neck. "You really thought I was going to bite you. Admit it."

"Did not!"

"Mm…sure…_sure_, ma jolie." He nuzzled past my hair to the skin at the back of my neck. After giving it a few long, canine-esque licks, he gnashed his teeth and playfully nipped at me, causing me to unconsciously jump in startled response. Naturally, this sent him into another fit of laughter.

"S'not funny," I protested sulkily, drawing away when he tried to turn me towards him. "The last time I saw you in wolf form you were taking a guy's head off, okay?"

"_Aw_, non, ma poupette!" he pouted, withdrawing his girth from between my legs and turning me easily onto my back. I winced and held my breath as my tender internal walls pulsed in mild discomfort at the loss. "You didn't really think I'd pleasure you all night and morning just to let my wolf bite your head off afterward, did you?" he teased. "Seems you're confusing wolves with the female praying mantis."

Somehow he was on top of me a moment later; his tongue in my mouth and his thighs between mine, pressing and holding my trembling knees apart. Before I could think to protest his cock was butting against my entrance. But when he began gently nudging inside me I squealed in the back of my throat. He froze and broke our lip-lock long enough to scan my features with concern. He frowned. "Sore?"

I shook my head and asked anxiously, "So you were just kidding then about the male wolves outside, right?"

"Naw." He smirked lazily as he lifted up so that he was suspended above me in a straight-armed push-up position, "_'Fact_, there are two male wolves still guarding your front door and a nice smelling female human named Leah is on her way up the stairs right now."

"W-what?" I gasped.

But he'd already dipped down and was busy dropping kisses and licks down my belly.

"Ben-_**nett!**__"_ I shrieked in alarm as I heard the unmistakable, familiar creak of old wood giving under what had to be the soft, steady footfall of someone ascending the staircase. He ignored me, continuing his tongue's southbound exploration as my panic spiked. But when he shouldered his way between my thighs and his mouth latched hungrily onto my mound, I was shrieking his name again, for other reasons, just as there came a light, tentative knock at my bedroom door.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN – Embry's back next chapter, Leah has awkward dialogue with Magnett (Maggie X Bennett), and two wolves might just try to tear each other apart. _**Thanks for reading & have a lovely week! :)**_**_


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